The Songbird's Lament
by LotornoMiko
Summary: The story of Princess Romelle as told by the soldier who loved her. Lotor Romelle, OC Romelle, Sven Romelle Non Con Warning
1. Chapter 1

Standard disclaimer time! I do not own Lotor, Romelle or the characters of Voltron. That honor belongs to World Event Productions. I do however own the character of Sabbath. I do not make any money off of this story, it is done purely for entertainment purposes.

-Michelle

It's been a full three weeks since my return to planet Doom, and I'm still not entirely used to how things are done here. Especially at the castle, where we all, noble and peasant alike, are under the watchful eye of King Zarkon. That man is sharp like a hawk, his eyes missing little. And what he doesn't see, his witch Haggar does. The two make a very effective pair, having struck down countless assassins, stopping plots before they are fully formed.

It's no surprise to me that people continue to try to kill King Zarkon. He's ruthless even for a tyrant, and there is no love lost between him and the nobles. Or his son for that matter, the crown prince Lotor hardly being subtle in his plans to topple his father from the throne. Somehow Lotor still lives, it is in my opinion that he only just gets by, all on the skin of the back of his neck. Even now, with Zarkon's attention distracted, Lotor wasn't safe. Not with the losses he had given Doom these past few weeks.

I could sigh and bemoan the fact that my prince was failing, but unlike Zarkon I wasn't blinded by rage fueled by a year's long impatience. Doom's enemy had been victorious long before Lotor had arrived to take on the Arus invasion, and a string of commanders had preceded the prince. Those commanders were dead now, killed for their failures, their heads rumored to be mounted in Zarkon's private study.

If Lotor wasn't careful, his own head would join them. It came as no surprise that the prince intended to keep that from happening, through murder of his father if need be. Of course he needed a tremendous amount of luck to accomplish that, something not even the backing of half the court could give my prince. So for now it would be a waiting game, to see which of our two royals killed the other first.

I was a betting man, favoring the lowest of the odds. And thus I threw my lot in with Prince Lotor. That might have been colored by my sentimentality. We had become friends during our days in the Drule military academy, and upon our graduation, he had made sure to install me as part of his crew. We've both come a long way, I am a commander in my own right, having fought alongside Lotor in over a dozen wars.

I wished we were back on the field, fighting any planet that wasn't Arus. I've developed a taste for victory, and Arus promises to continue to deny us that. Three times my prince has already tried to conquer that planet, and each time he returned in failure. It's damaged an already weak relationship between him and his father, there is none of the warmth I witnessed left between them.

Even now my prince stands by his father, the two Drules up on the high platform that allows Zarkon to overlook the entire court. He enjoys seating himself above us, enjoys looking down on everyone. It is here, seated upon his throne, that Zarkon makes life and death decisions everyday, and it is here that he berates and insults those who have failed him.

But he's not yelling right now, leaning back in his throne, an almost amused smile on his face. He's gazing down at the group kneeling before the steps that lead up to the platform. It is five men, all human in looks, their heads so lowered they almost touch the floor with their foreheads. It is not an unusual sight, to see humans cowering, begging the King. But what isn't normal about this, is that they are not dressed in the typical rags of slaves, their necks missing the tell tale collars.

The humans are waiting, King Zarkon giving them a considering look. Four of the five are young men, all muscled and healthy looking. They've not known the harshness of a slave's life yet. The fifth, the one who had appointed himself spokesperson for the group, is older, his hair silver. But he is not frail looking, there is an authority to him even as he grovels before our King.

"Cova..." Zarkon says at last, having decided to forgo the use of the man's kingly title. "You've come a long way, risking your crown and your planet's freedom. That impresses me enough to grant you this audience." The faintest of smirks crossed his face, I can hear the murmur of unrest from the nobles gathered in the room. "You have five minutes to continue to impress me lest you end up in my dungeons."

I can give credit where credit is due, this human King did not so much as tremble, slowly lifting his head to meet Zarkon's gaze. "Then I will get straight to the point." Cova said. "I can give you victory over Arus and Voltron."

The crowd, a mix of nobles and soldiers, immediately reacted to the human's words. Gasps and murmurs were heard, I could only pick out a word here and there through the loud rumble of conversation. But I could guess at what they were thinking, the group eager for Arus' defeat, many more doubtful that the human could really deliver on such a promise.

Truthfully I had my own doubts. What could this human do that the great Doom Empire had failed in for over a year? Zarkon allowed the crowd to continue their loud speculation, before he finally held up a hand for silence.

"That's a bold claim you make." My King's eyes glittered dangerously, his lips curling back to reveal his very sharp fangs. "But can you deliver?"

"I can." Cova said. "I swear it. But my assistance does not come without a price..."

"Name it." Ordered Zarkon, and the human King seemed to wilt with relief. He was a fool, not realizing that Zarkon would never truly give him what he wanted. Oh, my King might dangle the prize before a fool's nose, all to better entice them with, but ultimately what Zarkon gave, he would eventually take back. Preferably by force.

"I propose an alliance between my planet and yours." Zarkon didn't so much as bat an eye at Cova's words, giving him a lazy smile.

"And just what would be the benefits of such an alliance? Your planet Pollux after all, does not have anything I cannot get from elsewhere."

"That may be, but without us you'll never defeat Voltron."

"Why come to us?" Zarkon demanded. "If you have the means to defeat Arus' defender, why not use it and be done with it?" It was a good question Zarkon asked, one that got the crowd talking once more. Cova was hesitating to answer, which had Zarkon smirking even harder. "You need us, don't you?"

"Yes." It was a hissed out retort, Cova seeming reluctant to admit it. "It's a two way street. We both have one half of the key to Voltron and Arus' defeat."

"And if I agreed to this...what would you be getting out of this arrangement?" questioned Zarkon.

"Arus and Pollux have been sworn enemies for decades." Cova answered. "Ever since a King of theirs exiled my ancestor's people to Pollux. It hasn't always been an easy life for us, Pollux's lands hardly ideal to support a large quantity of people. We've suffered for it, suffered while Arus flourishes. My people's wish is simple, they want to return to the land their ancestors were exiled from, a land that by all right should have been ours."

"So you want Arus for yourself, do you?" Zarkon appeared thoughtful, as though he was considering giving Cova exactly what he wanted. The gathered Drules were all smirks and smiles, exchanging knowing looks. We knew Zarkon would never hand over Arus to another, not after all the trouble the planet and it's ruler had caused him. "Oh why not." Zarkon said at last, the entire court putting on an act of believing in the King's sincerity. "There are other worlds out there, plenty to keep Doom from noticing the loss of Arus."

"And without Voltron to run interference..." continued the King after a moment's pause. "Those other worlds will soon be mine."

"Is that a yes, King Zarkon?" Cova asked, and he got the only confirmation he would from the Drule, a nodding of his head. Cova looked relieved. I had the thought that for a king, Cova did not school his expressions well, but I suppose excuses could be made. He was after all human, and had surely been under a lot of strain. Especially when presented before Zarkon, with so much riding on his shoulders.

"So now Cova, you will reveal to me the secret to Voltron's defeat." It was not a request but a command Zarkon spoke, both he and his son intent on the human before them.

"It is very easy King Zarkon." Cova smiled. "Your witch Haggar will turn the greatest warrior planet Pollux has ever known into the most powerful monster in the galaxy."

Zarkon's eyes flashed, but other than that, he did not betray how he felt about Cova's plans. Certainly he did not show any disappointment. Instead he leaned back in his seat, resting his chin on the palm of one hand. He looked very much relaxed, a feral grin on his face. I could sense the mood of his had turned even more dangerous, the humans needing to tread carefully.

"You make it all sound so simple." Zarkon said at last. "But have you forgotten the strength of Voltron, the mightiest robot in the universe?" A pause, and then a subtle jibe was offered to his son, Zarkon reminding all of Lotor's difficulties with the robot. "Right Lotor?"

"Hmmm." Lotor made an agreeing sound, but was otherwise silent, nodding his head. He had been frowning during much of this exchange between the two Kings. To me, he didn't look convinced of what Cova was saying, and I couldn't help but wonder if he had been worried by it all. If Cova's plan was a viable option, and if it worked, then Zarkon would claim victory over Voltron. And along with it, Lotor would lose much of the court's support. His designs on the throne would be in upheaval, delayed for an indefinite amount of time.

"I have not forgotten!" Cova snapped angrily.

"Cova, your planet was powerful but that was long ago. I want to test your warrior. He shall fight in the arena!" decided King Zarkon. The Drules liked the sound of that, eager excitement going through the crowd. They wanted to see this so called greatest warrior fight, almost as much as they would enjoy it if he proved less than adequate against Haggar's creatures. I knew if the warrior couldn't win, Cova and his planet would pay the price. All for bothering Zarkon with false hopes.

"Yes. He must prove himself against the robeast monsters!" added Lotor, hardly put off by Cova's glower.

"We welcome that challenge!" Cova announced, and gestured to the man to his right. "Prince Avok is the greatest fighter in the galaxy!" I could see the resemblance between the two men, though Avok's hair was a dark red. He couldn't be more than twenty-five, and I wondered how such a young human could make the claim to be so great.

It was clear that Lotor wondered the same, my prince taking offense to Cova's words. "And I challenge that!" Lotor took a mighty leap off the high platform, landing before the King and his son. Lotor was glaring, his mouth twisted in a smirk as he pointed at Avok. "This human has no chance against Voltron!"

"Relax Lotor." Zarkon was calm where his son was not. "If the King says his warrior can do it, let him prove it in the arena."

"It will be a short fight." Lotor announced with vicious glee. "The robeast will chop him down like a tree!" He gestured with his hand across his neck, signaling the beheading that would follow Avok's loss in the arena.

Avok, who had been silent through out all this, took offense at Lotor's words. The red haired prince leapt to his feet, standing before Lotor. My prince towered over him in height, but Avok was wider in the chest, holding a barrel shaped body. He glared defiance into Lotor's eyes, an act that should have gotten him killed. But Lotor was apparently in a good mood, relishing the thought of Avok's impending defeat.

"I will not lose." Avok announced, ignoring the laughter that rose up from the crowd.

"Avok, enough!" Cova cried out sharply to his son. Avok vibrated with visible tension, he was spoiling for a fight. Was it Lotor that angered the prince so, or was he just that eager to prove himself in battle?

"We shall see." Lotor smiled at him, an unfriendly look that spoke of how much he doubted that. "Get him ready for the arena."

Soldiers approached the group, the Drules taking hold of Avok's arms. He didn't try to fight, which was a rarity among arena fighters. But then, Avok had chosen to fight, being so different from the slaves that were forced to do battle for the Drules' amusement. He even went so far as to walk with his head held high, nodding to King Zarkon. "I will do my people proud." He said, before he was dragged away from the throne's platform.

The Drules in the throne room were all talking. Already bets were being placed on the likely hood of Avok surviving in the arena. Even I decided to get in on the action, placing a few hundred credits in favor of the prince. Call me crazy, but there was something about the human's determination that made me believe he might have a chance.

As I was finishing up with that business, Prince Lotor approached me. "Sabbath." I was grateful then for a Drule's inability to color with embarrassment, for surely I would have flushed at nearly being caught betting in favor of the man who had stirred Lotors' contempt.

"Yes sire?" We were friends, but formalities had to remain in place. At least while we were in public. Especially so near to his father.

"Come with me." Lotor requested, and I fell into place, walking besides him. The rest of the court remained behind, unable to leave until they got permission from their king or their prince. Zarkon was in no hurry to get to the arena, knowing it would take some time to get both Avok and his opponent ready.

"What do you know of Pollux?" Lotor asked once we were clear of the throne room. To my regret, there wasn't much I could say. Pollux wasn't exactly known by the Drules, even if it was Arus' neighbor. It was after all, an impoverished planet, without the lush and fertile paradise that Arus enjoyed. That had saved it from Drule invasion, Zarkon not wanting to bother with a planet that couldn't increase his wealth.

"Not much more than you." I admitted to Lotor. "It's a pretty bleak world. Not as bad as Doom of course, but still not worth much. They haven't been very active in the goings on of the Galaxy either...keeping neutral in the Doom Denubian wars."

"Yes. They're not known for involving themselves in the affairs of others." Lotor seemed distracted. "They must hate Arus an awful lot to risk coming here and dealing with my father." I just nodded, letting the prince continue his musings. "I wonder what their ancestors did to earn exile..."

"I suspect that's something you should be asking a Polluxian about."

"If they even know." Lotor said in reply. "You know how these grudges are. Especially the long ones that go on for years. Eventually the people fighting forget the reason behind it, and only remember that it's always been this way, hating each other."

"True prince. But if it's a hate we can use to defeat Voltron, what is the harm in working with them?" I asked.

"You're supposing a lot." Lotor grumbled. "Don't tell me you believe that human has a chance at winning." I had to fight not to shift, not wanting to betray that I did believe in that chance, slim though it was. "Even if Haggar enhances him with her magic, there's no way he'll defeat Voltron. They are wasting our time and resources with this scheme!"

"Well...one way or another, we'll get a new planet..." I said, thinking of how Pollux would end up under Zarkon's thumb, no matter the outcome of Cova's plan.

"What use do we have for that miserable rock?" Lotor wanted to know.

"It would be a new source of slaves." I was trying to be optimistic, where Lotor was looking for all the negatives in the situation.

"More mouths to feed and clothe. Hardly worth the expense."

"Slaves are always dying on us." I pointed out. "Sometimes faster than we can adequately replace. If most of the Polluxians are as strong looking as the ones that were in your father's throne room, we would be fortunate to have them." Lotor looked ready to scowl, and I didn't know how to appease him. "And Haggar could always use more bodies for her experiments..."

"Haggar and her damn experiments. What good are those failures of hers?" Lotor growled. "We had more success before we started relying on her witch craft."

"Yes but...the Arus invasion is different from all the others we took part in." I reminded him. "So long as they have that robots of theirs, I doubt we can win." It was perhaps a dangerous thing to voice, this doubt of mine. But I knew Lotor wouldn't begrudge me for speaking truthfully.

"We just haven't found the right plan." Lotor retorted. "But soon..." He nodded to himself, his voice softening. "Soon."

For his case and Doom's, I hope it was true. Lotor had only survived this long because of his ties to the throne, but even being related to Zarkon by blood, wouldn't keep him alive indefinitely. Zarkon wasn't known for tolerating failures, and his disappointments with Lotor grew by the day. I fervently wished that Avok would really prove to be all that Cova claimed, if only to put an end to the whole Arus debacle.

We'd all be able to rest easy once Arus was put behind us. But first we had to get to the arena, Lotor surprising me by choosing to not go to his father's private balcony that overlooked the fighting pit. He wanted to be closer to the fighting, and the smirk he kept flashing led me to believe he was plotting something. I'd find out soon enough, but meanwhile I couldn't shake the bad feeling that was developing within me. Something didn't feel right, the air charged with some kind of weird energy. I couldn't read it, and had no way of knowing I was about to meet a woman who would change everything for me.

To Be Continued!

Sabbath is my Drule OC character that debuted in Animal Attraction. Although this story has nothing to do with AA. I liked the paring of him and Romelle too much to let it end with AA. I have another alternate universe story, Pride and Resentments, that also features Sabbath and Romelle in addition to Lotor and Allura. I am waiting until Divine Misunderstandings and Animal Attraction is completed before posting that one.

I rewatched the first Pollux episode, and it sounded like the King's name was either Coba or Cova. Which leaves me confused, since isn't that Haggar's cat's name? 0_o

Michelle


	2. Chapter 2

For a match that was so sudden and unexpected, it still drew in crowds, the arena filling up to nearly it's entire capacity. Word had traveled, those that had been present in Zarkon's throne room, had called their friends, the news bringing them out in throngs. I could hear the excitement, the Drules talking, speculating on what kind of slaughter they were about to see. It seemed almost no one had faith that a human warrior could stand up to one of Haggar's robeasts.

Their certainty got to me, I was sure I had wasted credits in betting in Avok's favor. But it was too late to rescind the bet. The match was due to start at any moment, we just waited on our King. He was present in the royal box, a balcony that overlooked the arena's pit. Besides him was his witch, her crystal ball in hand. She almost never went without it, always scrying, always looking for some hidden threat to Zarkon's rule.

What might be the biggest threat to him was seated to the left of me, Prince Lotor leaning back with his arms crossed over his chest. An impatient look was on his face, he was going so far as to tap his foot. He was eager for the fight to begin, wanting to bear personal witness to Avok's defeat. I hadn't been able to pry out of him whatever trick he was plotting, and for a brief few minutes Lotor had left my side. He wouldn't say what he had done in those few minutes, but I was sure it wouldn't be in Avok's favor.

It might seem strange to you, but that brief interaction in his father's throne room, had put Avok on Lotor's shit list. The prince, always easy to anger, hadn't like King Cova's words. He took personal offense to the thought of there being a warrior greater than him, especially one of human blood. Too often, among the Drule, it had been said that Prince Lotor was the greatest fighter in all the known universe. That honor was being stolen away with each loss he suffered at Voltron's hands, people forgetting all of his accomplishments to focus in on the failures.

It seemed to me, Lotor NEEDED to bring Avok down a peg or two. If only to soothe his wounded pride. He couldn't successfully lash out at his father or Voltron, so sought the next available target. I almost pitied Avok for this, knowing if he survived the arena, it wouldn't spare him from Lotor's attacks.

I wasn't the impatient type, but sitting next to my prince, and listening to the restlessness of the crowd, it affect me. It was a blessed relief when the fanfare of trumpets sounded, King Zarkon having given the signal to start. Lotor besides me, smiled slyly, his voice coming out almost too soft for me to hear over the crowd's excited roar.

"And now it begins."

Avok was the first fighter out in the pit, and immediately I saw what Lotor had done. The red haired prince was still clad in his dark green tunic, yellow cape flowing out behind him. And that was all, no sign of armor, not even arm guards. It was highly unusual for a fighter to enter without the proper padding, even slaves got a flimsy breast plate to protect them from the monster's claws.

The crowd had noticed Avok's lack of armor, whispers of conversation being heard. They thought the prince had done it on purpose, that his human arrogance had led him to be so cocky and confidant. It caused a mix reaction in the spectators, some of them liking it, some not. Some were angry, assuming that the fight would end barely before it started, the Drules expecting an armorless human to easily be torn open by the robeast.

Betting was resumed, I could catch the whispers of people deciding just how long Avok would last in the arena. Seeing him like this, it made me regret my earlier bet even more. I was already wincing inwardly at the loss of a week's salary when the robeast entered. It looked like it had once been a Drule, although it's skin was so dark a green it was almost black. It had a bald head with the head ridges so similar in one half of my race. It's lips were nearly nonexistent, allowing row upon row of sharp, white teeth to be seen. They glistened, the robeast salivating at the sight of the human.

Both Avok and the robeast were equipped with swords. The blades were made of lazon, which hummed and glowed brightly. When it came to arena fights, the Drules did not skimp out on the weaponry it presented the warriors with. Most times, the slaves that fought here were so inexpert with a sword, that they ended up slicing off a body part of their own in trying to wield the lazon. But Avok didn't have that problem, twirling it about in a complex pattern that left the glow flickering a moment in the air.

The robeast warrior responded to Avok's unvoiced challenge, letting out a vicious sounding roar. Seconds later it was charging across the pit, sand being kicked up by it's feet. Avok did not cower, nor did he just stand there waiting for the robeast to come to him. Instead he moved, swiftly but cautiously, covering ground so that they met almost in the middle of the arena's pit.

The robeast's malevolent red eyes flashed, and it lunged forward, slashing downwards with it's sword arm. I watched as Avok just managed to avoid it, jumping back three steps. The robeast immediately corrected it's forward trajectory, turning and lunging again. This time it attempted a side slice, aiming for Avok's stomach. Again the human jumped back, and the crowd grew restless. Was this all the human was capable of? Dodging attacks?

I glanced at Lotor and saw he was the only one smiling, the crowd's unrest doing nothing to affect his mood. He seemed too happy with Avok's performance so far, watching as the human prince once again dodged another of the robeast's attacks. The monster than roared it's frustration, seeming puzzled by the fact Avok's blood wasn't on it's sword.

I knew of this robeast, it had been the arena champion for the last four days. If it kept up the winning streak for another day, it would end up on a slab in Haggar's laboratory. Just another monster to be enhanced and shipped off to Arus. It wasn't a winnable situation to be in, for it's only other option was to die in the arena. This robeast didn't want to die, it showed in how efficient and vicious it was in it's battles. It had earned a reputation for especially brutal killings of it's opponents, and I found myself wondering if Lotor had had a hand in this robeast being brought out to fight Avok.

Avok dodged another attack, the swing nearly taking his head. So far he had not even once tried to swing his sword at the monster, and the crowd didn't like that. As he continued to dance around the pit, avoiding the robeast's attacks, the crowd began to protest. They openly booed him, and someone threw their meaty treat into the arena in a show of disgust.

Lotor chuckled softly under his breath, I only heard it because of how close I was to him. Avok hardly seemed bothered by the crowd's upset, continue to duck and weave around the robeast's attacks. It only served to enrage the robeast, it's attacks coming faster. I wouldn't realize it then, but Avok had a purpose in this seemingly cowardly avoidance. He was attempting to tire out the robeast, letting it grow winded before he made his move.

The fight would drag on for another ten minutes before Avok began to seriously fight. The crowd continued to boo him, jeers and taunts being voiced, more garbage being flung into the pit. He smashed his sword into the robeast's blade, but it was too late, the crowd had lost interest in the fight.

Sparks shot off the crossed blades, and the robeast swung it's free hand at Avok. It had sharp claws that were bone white in color. Avok back flipped away from the claw's swipe, sword still in hand. But this time he took the offensive, gearing up for a mighty leap in the air. That leap surprised me, Avok gaining enough height to bring his sword down on the top of the robeast's head.

It was shocking in both it's suddenness and brutality, the lazon easily cleaving in half the robeast's head. Stunned silence filled the arena, the people watching as the robeast's body crumpled, Avok falling it down to the sand. He was calm, as he pulled his sword out of the remains of the robeast's face, shaking the blood off the blade. The monster's body twitched in death like throes, before stilling completely.

"I can't believe it!" I almost startled at the sound of Lotor's voice. It carried through the silent arena, the prince rising to stand. "That man was lucky."

I wasn't sure what to believe, having witnessed Avok's tactic of tiring out the robeast. But I also couldn't deny it had taken real strength to be able to split the robeast's head in two. But before I could say anything, Prince Lotor was vaulting over the side of the wall that separated the stands from the pit. It was an easy leap for him, Lotor landing on his feet.

"NOW!" He said, all tense and dramatic as he drew his own sword. It's blue lazon blade hummed to life, glow seeming brighter in contrast to Avok's blood and gore covered sword. "Beat a real opponent. Me!"

Avok wasn't a man of many words it seemed. He said nothing save for an acknowledging grunt as he slid into a defensive pose. Lotor bent his arm, sword held before him as he began circling closer. Avok mirrored his movements, the two princes moving about in an ever decreasing circle until finally Lotor lost patience. I was surprised at that, Lotor was usually more reserved than that in battle. He must have really wanted Avok's blood to so recklessly charge him.

Avok didn't break from his defensive stance, waiting for Lotor to reach him. At the last second, Lotor leapt up, intending to bring down his sword on Avok's head. It seemed he wanted to mimic the move Avok had used to kill the robeast, but it didn't play out in the same way. Avok brought his sword up high over his head, just barely managing to block Lotor's sword.

Frankly I was surprised Avok's sword didn't break in half from the heavy pressure Lotor brought down on it. He managed to push Lotor up and off his weapon, the prince staggering back a few steps. Again, this was impressive, showing that this human had more strength then was expected. Lotor eyed him, surely contemplating where would be the next place to strike. I sincerely hoped he wasn't going to fall into the trap the robeast had, for Avok was doing nothing but staring back at Lotor.

The crowd had come alive at the prince's introduction into the pit. It wasn't every day they got to see their prince fight, and they liked the showmanship of the prince. If anyone had asked me, I would have bet on Lotor to win this encounter. Especially with Avok coming off the heels of a long fight with a robeast!

"YARGH!" Lotor charged Avok again, displaying that rash impatience once more. Their swords clang together, and seemed to grow stuck, neither man refusing to back down. They were pushing against each other, each putting pressure on their opponent's blade. One minute Lotor would be moving Avok back, and the next Avok would push forward, driving Lotor to step back. And all the while they were locked together with their swords.

They continued like that for two minutes straight, and then Avok's weariness began to show. He began to falter, his face seeming to pale. Lotor laughed then, and began backing him into one of the side walls. "Fool!" the Drule Prince cried out for all to hear, a triumphant smirk on his face. I could see how gleeful Lotor was, he was embracing the battle, enjoying every minute of what seemed to be Avok's inevitable defeat.

He actually backed Avok up to the wall before my seat, Lotor's eyes looking full of blood lust. The crowd was cheering, people screaming for the prince to finish off the human. And then it happened, amidst the roar of the crowd, a female voice called out. I was close enough to hear her, and so was Lotor and Avok.

"Avok, my brother! Win it for us!"

I didn't turn in the direction of the woman's voice, too intent on the fight. But Lotor allowed her to distract him, going so far as to lift his head up in her direction. That was all the opportunity Avok needed, the human prince shoving hard with his sword. At first it didn't seem it would make a difference, but Lotor continued to look in the direction of the woman, rather then at his opponent.

Another voice was heard, a boys. "My big brother Avok is the bravest and best fighter in the universe!"

"The bravest fighter, and the strongest prince!" Came the woman's voice. Lotor's eyes narrowed at that, I could see he didn't like those words. And then the crowd was gasping, Avok having managed to shove Lotor back completely. The Drule prince's sword went flying. It would land several feet away. Before Lotor could even think to retrieve it, Avok had his sword's point pressed into the Drule's throat.

The crowd was horrified, not knowing what to make of their prince losing and in such a humiliating way. I was just as shocked, and couldn't even be cheered by the thought of the bet I had won. Nor could I see Lotor's face from the position he was in, but I could hear Avok's taunting chuckle. The human knew he had the prince right where he wanted him, and only Avok's mercy spared Lotor from becoming another stain on his sword.

"Lotor is a fool, distracted by a woman!" Came Zarkon's announcement, the displeased King having risen from his throne. It seemed to me he had wanted to see the Polluxian prince put in his place as well, or maybe he was just disappointed that Lotor had acted so foolishly on the battlefield.

Lotor let out a low growl, angry at his defeat. "You're lucky." He insisted. "Would you dare to fight me again?" I'd give him points for trying, but Avok wasn't having any of it.

"I'll spare you..."Avok began, keeping the sword from splitting open Lotor's throat. "If you help me with my plan."

"Fair enough." Lotor said, and Avok stepped back. Lotor turned to gaze off to the side, where Haggar was waiting. "Haggar, come quickly. Take this brave man to your laboratory." His voice suddenly became satisfied, Lotor practically purring. "Good bye...and good riddance!"

"Ah, young man...you wish to be a robeast?" Haggar had stepped up to Avok, running a solictious hand across his muscled arm. Somehow he kept from shuddering, even as my stomach turned at the admiring look in Haggar's eyes. She would surely enjoy working on this latest test subject of hers, modifying Avok's body until he was a twisted shell of his former self. "Follow me!"

My eyes stayed trained on the sight of Haggar leading the silent Avok out of the pit, but then two voices drew my attention. "Wow! Avok's gonna be a robeast!" It was that boy again, and I saw that he looked to be a much younger version of Avok, with a slightly subdued shade of red for his curly hair. Besides him was a girl, just on the cusp of becoming a woman.

I can admit to being confused, seeing her blue eyed, blond haired looks, and thinking she was princess Allura. If I had made that mistake, it was no surprise Lotor had thought the same, allowing the resemblance this girl had to Allura to distract him at a pivotal moment. I'm not making excuses for Lotor's defeat, he really shouldn't have allowed anything or anyone to distract him. Even if the real princess Allura had been there, naked and offering herself up to him, he should have finished the battle first, and then gone after her.

"Yes, but the real excitement will be when he defeats the mighty Voltron!" The girl exclaimed, a smile lighting her face up, and making her even more beautiful.

"Voltron won't stand a chance against him!" The boy grinned, practically dancing in place with his excitement.

It was then that Lotor vaulted back into the stands, not caring for the new robeast that was being brought out. The next fight would be to placate the disquieted crowd, to give them something worth cheering about. But I, like the rest of them, could see Lotor had no more interests in fighting for the day. No, he had other pursuits in mind, the prince walking over to the girl and the boy.

He immediately dropped down to one knee, a fist pressed over his heart. I almost rolled my eyes then, thinking he was overdoing it on his attempts to be gallant. He wasn't the type to try and charm a woman, he was usually blunt and straight to the point, making it known what he wanted and expected from them.

He took hold of her hand, rising to stand straight before her. "You think Avok's the bravest man in the universe?"

"So I do." She shyly lowered her eyes for a moment, which I'm sure endeared her all the more to Lotor. "I'm Princess Romelle." She nodded to the boy next to her. "And this is my little brother, Prince Bandor."

"Avok's also your brothe..." Lotor noted, and Romelle nodded. If anything Lotor's smile became wider, the prince caressing a thumb over the back of her hand. I could practically see the wheels turning in his head, Lotor realizing Romelle was just one more way to get under Avok's skin. It didn't hurt that she was beautiful, fitting Lotor's type of blonde, blue eyed beauties with fair skin. He had a whole harem of similar looking women, and I had no doubt he was contemplating adding Romelle to his collection.

"May I show you around?" Lotor asked, and barely waited for her answer to begin leading her away.

"Well...all right." She said, casting one last look at her little brother. She almost stumbled at Lotor's insistent pull, the prince murmuring an offhand remark.

"You look just like princess Allura..."

I nearly groaned then, thinking he lacked a filter for his mouth, spouting out the first thing that came to his mind. But the princess barely reacted. If it bothered her to be compared to another woman, she didn't let it show. Perhaps she was just that naive, not realizing that was the attraction she held for the Drule Prince. Whatever the case, she went with him, and I immediately tried to put Romelle out of my mind. She was meant to be insignificant, just another princess of a world that would soon be under Doom's rule. At least that's what I thought back then, assuming she would be nothing more than another notch on Lotor's bed post. I had no idea how important she would become, to the war, to Zarkon and Lotor's plans, and more importantly, to me.

To Be Continued!

I decided to post so soon, since the first two chapters cover familair ground. This story will be a mix of both cannon, and of course, new events. Starting with chapter three we will get to see stuff that wasn't in the show. I'll be setting up relationships, Romelle with both men, and even some between Lotor and Sabbath.

I also went and edited chapter one, to change Romelle's father to Cova isntead of Coba. Watching the episode again, everyone else sounded like they were saying Cova. Only Zarkon sounded like he called him Coba. 0_o

Michelle 

Lotor Sincline, thank you so much! I was watching my old VHS of the shows, and they are not close captioned! *Cries* So if someone mutters it's sometimes hard to make out a name correctly. That's like with my He-man and She-ra DVDS, they didn't close caption them, and some of the voices, are so...oddly accented, it's sometimes hard for me to understand exactly what was said...and I really need to finish watching those DVDs. XD

Wade Wells, oh thank you! I'm glad you're so excited for this fic. I am too! It came to me a few nights ago when I was trying to fall asleep. The summary I have on fanfic net, those were words I thought of, were among the first I had when I was thinking about writing this tale.

Ah...I sadly feel stuck for the Merla Lotor story. *Cries* But I never abandon a story even if it takes me a long while to finish. Right now I am riding the creative wave of this story. I have the first four chapters written! :D I dunno about the Keith story...I still have to plot that out!


	3. Chapter 3

I wouldn't get a chance to actually meet Romelle until much later in the day. Lotor was intent on monopolizing her attention, the prince a shameless flirt. Especially when he was as determined to get a woman into bed as he was with Romelle! I wasn't the only one who had noticed Lotor's interest in the Polluxian princess, another betting pool had started, people trying to guess just how long it would take Lotor to wear down her resistance, and if he would tire of the chase and just take what he wanted from her.

Truthfully, I felt it could go either way. And all because of Romelle's resemblance to Allura. That surely elevated her in Lotor's eyes, as evidenced by his behavior in the arena. He had allowed this princess to distract him, to cause him defeat, and earn the disappointment of his father. And yet he shrugged it all off, simply because she looked like his beloved princess of Arus.

Some part of me actually hoped this Romelle could do more than distract Lotor from his obsession with Allura of Arus. That she could ease him past it, that obsession that hadn't yet started to spiral out of control. When I look back, I can see now that Lotor had already lost his mind to lust for Allura. They had only had three encounters before Romelle entered the picture, and yet those meetings had been enough to spark some deep rooted feeling that was too twisted to truly call love.

But I am getting ahead of myself. There was still time before obsession ran it's course, before Lotor's lust and anger led him to do violent and despicable things. I still had to meet Romelle, meet the woman who would soon have so much riding on her slim shoulders.

I encounter the pair on my way to one of Zarkon's banquets. Our King was celebrating the alliance with Pollux, by treating us all to a celebratory feast. It was rare for Zarkon to hold a party of any kind, in the three weeks I had been on Doom, there had been only one. That had been to celebrate Lotor's return, and the many triumphs the prince had had over Doom's enemies.

Since that time, Zarkon had grown angry with the prince's failures against Voltron. What point was there to a party when Doom had nothing to celebrate? Zarkon would just see it as a waste of resources, even if parties helped boost people's morales.

It was a pleasant surprise, this banquet, and I found myself looking forward to the chance to relax. My pockets were heavier from the bet I had won, and I was betting I would be able to charm some Drule female into my bed before the night was through. I dare say a spring was in my step, even if I didn't feel much hope for Avok's future, and the impending fight with Voltron.

"Sabbath!" Lotor's voice called out to me, I immediately turned. The prince was walking towards me, a smirk on his face as he escorted the princess through the castle. She had her hand on his arm, and she was smiling, although the expression was slight. I wondered what she had seen to keep her from displaying that radiant smile she had worn in the arena, and knew there wasn't much in the castle that was fit for a human to see.

"Prince Lotor." I did a slight bow to him, letting my gaze drift to Romelle. Lotor took the hint, bringing Romelle closer to me so that I could grasp her hand in mine.

"This is the Princess Romelle. King Cova's daughter."

"A pleasure." I said, raising her hand so that I could press a kiss across her knuckles.

"And this is?" Romelle asked once I let go of her hand.

"Ah this is commander Sabbath. A good man, a good friend of mine." Explained Lotor, a fond look in his eyes as he looked at me.

"Oh, will you be coming with us to Pollux?" The curious princess asked.

"If my prince will allow it." I answered, glancing back at Lotor. He looked amused, nodding his head.

"I wouldn't have you miss it for the world." He gestured then for me to walk with them, the three of us heading for the room that had been designated to hold the feast. Our conversation did not idle, I was curious about this Romelle, and especially about her interactions with my prince.

"Have you been touring the castle all this time?" I asked her, and she allowed a small nod.

"Oh yes." Her eyes briefly lowered, hiding her feelings behind the lids. "Your prince has been showing me all the sights..."

"ALL the sights?" I questioned sharply, glancing concerned at Lotor. Surely he had taken the time to censor what Romelle would see!

"Yes, the armory, the library, even the witch's laboratory." Lotor answered and I felt relieved. Those places were relatively harmless, and I doubted Romelle would

be exposed to much horror unless an errant slave chose to act up within view of the princess. "Romelle was most interested in the last one."

"I wanted to see where my brother Avok would stay in the coming days." Romelle explained. A pause followed her words, and then she flushed. "It's not at all what I expected. For a witch's lair." She added hastily. "It's certainly dark and gloomy enough, but it seemed so modern...!"

"Haggar insists on the best." Lotor replied with a chuckle. "She's not content to do her magic with archaic tools."

"There are other witches." I said, turning a teasing smile on the princess. "Ones whose lairs do fit the profile of a witch's home. If you like, I'm sure Lotor could bring you to visit one of those."

"Thank you but no." Romelle gave a slight shake of her head. "One visit to a witch's home was enough for me."

"Your loss." I replied, still teasing her. A witch's lair was after all, no place for a princess. No matter how closely tied to the court that particular witch might be. "Has Haggar started prepping Prince Avok?"

"No, not yet." That had Lotor frowning, the look in his eyes annoyed. "She's running tests on his stamina and health. To gauge how much energy she can pour into him without killing him." From the expression on his face, I knew Lotor wouldn't have minded if the experiment ended in Avok's death.

"Kill him?" Romelle was alarmed, and Lotor did nothing to reassure her. I held back a sigh, letting my voice take on a soothing tone.

"There is always a danger that a person may be too weak to withstand the energy needed to undergo the transformation. But you shouldn't worry, your highness." We were coming upon the banquet room, the group inside's voices carrying out into the hall. "Your brother is strong, not to mention healthy. He should become a fine robeast for us."

"I certainly hope so." Romelle murmured as Lotor growled.

"He better." A sour look was on his face, Romelle did not miss it, frowning. But she didn't call Lotor on it, merely allowing him to usher her into the banquet room. The voices grew louder in volume, the people were already making merry with the food and drink that was laid out on the long tables. Many were in fact already drunk, to the point they didn't turn to look at our entrance into the room.

But our arrival wasn't completely unnoticed, King Zarkon making eye contact with his son. A nod was exchanged, and then Lotor was leading us over to his father. King Cova was standing besides Zarkon's seat, and the other three men from Pollux were also present. The humans looked overwhelmed by the Drules drunken revelry, and I couldn't help but notice how uneasy their King was. I put if off as worry over Avok, so much rode on his ability to become a strong robeast.

I should have realized at once that there was more to it. Cova was bothered by Lotor's interest in his daughter, he didn't want a Drule influencing her in any way. Especially one with Lotor's reputation, the prince a womanizer in the best of lights.

"Father." Lotor said, his bow taking him and Romelle downwards. I mimicked that show of respect, waiting for the King to give us permission to rise. He took his time about it, sipping the blood red wine from his chalice.

"I understand you've been showing Romelle the sights." Zarkon said at last, a negligent wave of his hand calling us out of the bow. "Tell me, have you been to the torture pits yet?"

"Th...the torture pits?" Romelle had paled considerably, Lotor shooting his father an evil look.

"No father, we have not." He tsked then. "Such sights are not for such a delicate princess."

"Indeed." Her father spoke up, the waver in his voice hinting at how hard he was trying not to show his anger. "Romelle shouldn't be exposed to such...undignified sights!"

"You surprise me Cova." Zarkon grumbled. "Pollux has the reputation for being the evil twin of planet Arus. Surely a little torture and death shouldn't offend any of your sensibilities!"

"My people are not evil!" Romelle protested, which was foolish for it only gained her Zarkon's attention. He looked at her then, disdain in his eyes.

"Oh? Then what would you call them?" Zarkon asked. "They openly covet Arus, and the enslavement of that planet's people. You're prepared to start a war, not to maintain peace, but out of greed and lust. You're father is even willing to turn his own son into a monster, to see that that planet falls into ruin. I'd practically be a saint in comparison if that is not evil that motivates you and your father."

"Father!" snapped Lotor, drawing Romelle closer to his side as though that would protect her from the King's words.

"No, Lotor. Let her speak." Zarkon said, even as Cova sputtered some things besides him.

"It is not like that!" insisted Romelle, her face flush, her eyes sparking with a hint of defiant anger. "My people only want what is their birthright, the world that has been denied to them."

"And who decided that Arus was that birthright? Hmm?" questioned Zarkon.

"Our ancestors were exiled to Pollux decades ago." Romelle replied. "Left to rot, to possibly die on the planet. Arus didn't give a care as to what happened to them, or their children. They hoped we would die out...We did not. We only grew stronger..."

"As did your hate towards Arus." Zarkon pointed out, then leaned forward in his seat. "Tell me Romelle. Is it not true that all your ancestors, even your vaunted first King of Pollux, were nothing more than criminals? The dregs of society, murders, rapists, thieves...all banished from Arus in order to protect the good hearted people that lived on that world?"

She flushed in answer, but Zarkon didn't wait for her to speak. "And isn't it true that your own king, the one your family is descended from, was the most ruthless of all. That he became king through murdering all of his opposition?"

"That's how the rumor goes..." admitted a flustered Romelle.

"He made his kingdom on the corpses of his enemies. Pollux, your family, intends to continue that tradition." A smile then. "We are not that different, for Doom does the same."

I saw a flash of horror in Romelle's eyes, before she quickly doused it. But it was enough to let me know she didn't like the idea that Doom and Pollux were the same. She made one last bold exclamation though, proving how foolishly brave she was. "That's where you're wrong! Pollux only wants Arus. You sire, will not be satisfied until the entire Denubian Galaxy is under your thumb!"

"Romelle!" Her father snapped, surely fearing she would earn Zarkon's anger. But the old King held up a hand, actually laughing.

"It is all right Cova. She doesn't know."

"Know what?" Romelle asked, looking between her father and Zarkon. Lotor seemed just as confused, and I couldn't blame him. He hadn't been present for any of the prolong meeting the two Kings had had.

"It's not just Arus we are going to go after." Zarkon smiled in satisfaction at Romelle's horrified reaction. "King Cova and I have been talking. If Avok should prove to be as strong a robeast as you all claim he will, then I will have many more uses for him."

"N...no!" She exclaimed, glancing at her father for confirmation.

"It's true Romelle. I've agreed to loan out the use of your brother to Doom, provided Zarkon splits any new conquests with us." Cova seemed oddly apologetic to his daughter, but the shame he felt wasn't enough to get him to back down from this scheme.

That only increased his daughter's upset, she shook her head, looking as though she was fighting back tears. And then just as abruptly, she was pulling her hand away from Lotor's arm. Without another word, she turned and stalked away, leaving Lotor behind to sputter out apologies for her abrupt behavior.

Rather than stay and watch Lotor try to make amends for Romelle leaving the king without properly being dismissed, I bowed and followed after her. She was fast on her feet, having already made it out into the hall, though I knew not where she thought to go next. She seemed at a loss over it too, glancing my way before leaning into the wall.

"They are never gonna let my brother go, are they?" She asked, voice whisper soft and sad. I considered this, but ultimately decided the truth was the best course.

"Yes. If Avok proves a viable monster, they will keep using him."

"It's not fair!" Her eyes flashed, she was angry, frustrated over her helplessness to stop this plot. She actually made a fist, hitting the back of it against the wall she leaned against. "Avok is not a tool to be used. He shouldn't spend the rest of his life as a robeast..."

I couldn't help myself, my curiosity getting the better of me. "What did you think was going to happen then?" She raised her eyes up to mine, but I didn't change my words. "He would either die in the fight against Voltron, or succeed. If he won, my King would never give up such a valuable robeast. It was foolish of your King to offer up his son, his heir."

"It wasn't father's idea!" Romelle protested. "Avok volunteered."

That drew me back, I hadn't expected the prince to be so self sacrificing. "Why?"

"For the honor of our people." She explained. "Avok wanted nothing more than to see us restored to our rightful world. It was he who came up with this scheme, right down to every detail. He wouldn't, couldn't allow someone else to become the robeast. Avok would never ask another to do what he was unable to do!" Her face shone with a mix of respect for her brother, and grief. She admired her brother for his morals, even as she disapproved of his fate.

"Avok was supposed to fell Voltron for us." Romelle continued softly. "He was supposed to usher us into prosperity..." She shook her head then, her long blond hair falling forward across her shoulders. "He was supposed to come back from this! To bear personal witness to the new life he earned for the people of Pollux. How can he enjoy the results of his efforts, if he's trapped as a monster?"

I had no words to reassure her, I couldn't even muster up a lie that someday Avok would earn retirement. There was no such thing for robeasts. They fight and fight, until the point of collapse, and then were pushed to fight some more. They lived and died on the battlefield, and Avok would be the same.

Romelle continued to stare searchingly into my eyes, waiting for the answer I could not give. I did not want to further crush this girl's hopes, nor did I want to lie to her. Fortunately for me, it was then that Lotor arrived, the prince radiating displeasure over having to apologize to his father.

"Romelle." He said, annoyance marring his features. "Why did you leave?"

"Ah...forgive me..." Romelle lowered her gaze. "I could not stand another minute of your father's knowing smirk."

"For future reference, you would be wise not to walk away from him until you've been excused." Lotor grumbled out. "Fortunately for us all, Zarkon was more amused than upset. He finds you a spirited girl."

I nearly snorted at that. "Since when does Zarkon like spirit in his women?"

Lotor shrugged. "I didn't say he meant it as a compliment."

"I suppose I should apologize to him." Romelle sighed, looking as though that was the last thing she wanted to do.

"There's no need right now." Lotor shook his head. "If you return before him, he'll only continue to bait you. There's little my father enjoys more than causing upset in people."

She was silent a moment, thinking this over. "Very well. I will wait to give my apology."

"Will you come back to the party now?" Already he was reaching for her hand. Romelle shook her head no.

"I find I am in no mood for celebrations."

"But you haven't even eaten anything!" protested Lotor, fighting his annoyance at her refusal.

"I find I have no appetite." She leaned wearily against the wall, putting on a show of how tired she was. "Please your highness. I must rest."

"Very well." Lotor was frowning. "I must stay at this party. My father is making too many plans without me this day. Sabbath, you take Romelle to the guest quarters. My father has seen fit to give Cova and his entourage bedding in the castle."

That was surprising to me, considering just earlier Zarkon had been intent on throwing them all in the dungeons. But I nodded, and bowed to my prince. "Very well your highness. Princess? If you'll come with me?"

"Yes." She flashed me a grateful look, then curtsied to Lotor. I didn't fail to notice the way his gaze lingered on the cleavage of her modest dress. But by the time Romelle straightened, Lotor was turning, walking back into the banquet room. I wondered if he would visit his harem to slack the lust Romelle stirred in him, or he would continue to let is boil. The latter would prove dangerous to Romelle for Lotor would become more aggressive the longer he went unsatisfied.

"Commander Sabbath?" I had paused without realizing it, staring after Lotor.

"Please. Just Sabbath is fine." I said, offering her my arm. She took it and we began to walk the halls of castle Doom. It was very dark here, the corridors dimly lit by flickering torches. It was just one reason Romelle needed an escort. She'd get hopelessly lost, even if she had known the way to guest wing. There were other dangers in the castle, humans did not often have free reign to wander these halls.

"Is it always so dark and gloomy in this castle?" Romelle asked, and I nodded.

"Zarkon likes the atmosphere to be dark and dangerous, like him." She didn't smile at that, her hand trembling on my arm.

"It succeeds." She said at last, and lapses into silence for the length of one corridor. "Sabbath? What do you think of my brother's chances? Against Voltron I mean."

I paused to give it the consideration her question deserved. I thought of Avok's fight in the arena, of his tactics and strategy. Of his strength when he had split open the robeast's skull. But mostly I thought of the luck he had had, Avok winning against Lotor only because the Drule had been distracted by Romelle's arrival.

"Voltron isn't like a robeast." I finally said, which earned a quizzical look from the princess. "He won't be able to tire it out like he could a flesh and blood monster."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you not notice?" I asked her, turning another corridor. The guest quarters were well on the other side of the castle, and we were not even halfway there yet. "He used a specific tactic against the monster. He purposefully tired it out, evading it's attacks, letting the creature use up it's strength before he went on the offensive. It's not the most honorable way of fighting to us Drule, but it did gain him the victory."

She flushed, angry over what I had said. "Is that why Prince Lotor challenged him? Because he thought he didn't win the fight in a fair manner?"

"Partly." I wasn't about to admit that pride had been Lotor's motivating factor. "Did you know princess, that among we Drules, Prince Lotor is considered the best of our fighters? Maybe even the best in all the galaxy?"

"Now that can't be true." A smile played on her lips, though her eyes still looked angry.

Why do you say that?" I asked her, watching the smile blossom.

"Because my brother, Avok holds that title."

"But he is human." I pointed out. "He's hardly strong in comparison to a Drule."

"Human he may be, but he is also from Pollux. The harsh conditions of that world lead to a stronger, sturdier type of man." Romelle retorted. I found myself teasing her again.

"And what of the women? Are they stronger? Or are they soft?" As soft looking as she was. But Romelle drew herself straight and proud, giving me a regal nod.

"The women of Pollux may not look strong, but we are. On the inside where it matters."

That was something Drules didn't really understand or respect. What good was inner strength, when the body could be overcome by adversity? A strong will wouldn't stop a sword from gutting you.

"You will need to draw on that strength then." I said, not realizing how true my words would become. "For yourself, and your brothers, both of them. It will be a trying time these coming days.. Princess, if I may be so bold...visit with your brother Avok again. Do it as often as it will be allowed."

"Why?" A curios tilt of her head, she was studying my expression. I didn't try to guard it from her, letting her see the truth in my eyes.

"Once Avok is successfully turned, his mind will deteriorate." She gasped then, a hand flying to cover her open mouth. "He will not recognize you, will not recognize the man he once was."

"Then...it was all a lost cause from the begginning, wasn't it?" Romelle asked. "There was never going to be a chance to turn him back, was there? Not with his mind damaged!"

"Truthfully I don't know." I said, seeing her surprise. "No one has ever attempted to reverse Haggar's magic."

"Oh." She didn't break down and start crying though, just remaining quiet as she digested my words. A few more steps and we were in the hall of the guest quarters, and I led her to one of the vacant rooms.

"If you need anything..." I began, my voice causing her to pause in the door's frame. "Do not hesitate to ask for me."

"Are you sure a commander should be playing servant?" She asked, and I shrugged.

"It would be my pleasure to wait on you." I gave her a small smile then. "And I think it would not be a hardship to be ordered around by you." Was that the slightest of blushes on her face? I couldn't tell but she seemed flustered by my words.

"Thank you comman-Sabbath." She corrected at the last second. "I will keep that in mind." I bowed to her, and then the door was closed, Romelle retreating inside the room. I wondered if I had succeeded even just a little in distracting her from her upset about her brother Avok's situation. And then I wondered why I even cared, not realizing that something about Romelle, perhaps that spirit Zarkon had talked of, was affecting me. I was already falling under her spell, and I did not even know it then.

To Be Continued!

Michelle

Wade Wells, yes it did, thanks! XD I've been very inspired for this fic. I've been diligently working on it every day this past week! Oooh, you like Sabbath? I take that as a high compliment. *gives you a team Sabbath t-shirt* All the cool kids are wearing one! XD

Lotor Sincline, here it is! There will be a lot of new plot, before the actual confrontation with Avok and Voltron. Got to set up the relationships, especially Sabbath and Romelle's! Hope you enjoy it!

Misty Gargoyle, thank you. Yep, this will be all from Sabbath's POV. It won't always be a happy story though. Early on it's a lighter feel as Lotor TRIES to behave himself around Romelle. Key word being try. I hope you will stick around...I feel very inspired for this story. It won't just be Romelle's first epiosde that gets coverd, but a lot of the other ones too...and even some mention of some of the non Romelle eps to show the passage of time. I'm really dreading trying to show the passage of time though...-_-


	4. Chapter 4

It would take several days for Avok's transformation into robeast to be completed. And during that time, a lull seemed to fill the castle. I found myself with a lot of free time on my hands, to the point boredom set in. I was simply too used to the military lifestyle, the constant action of the battlefield. I needed excitement to stimulate both my mind and my body, and lounging about the castle with the nobles wasn't going to give me that energy.

And so I found myself spending a lot of time with the soldiers. They were much lower in rank than me, leadign them to be wary of a commanding officer joining them for their exercise routines. But once they realized I was there to practice, and not bully them, they accepted me albeit grudgingly. I didn't slack on the job, exerting myself to the point I was breathless and damp with sweat.

It was like this that Lotor found me, Princess Romelle once again on his arm. I was wiping my wet face off with a towel, when Lotor drew her up besides me. "Sabbath, I didn't expect to see you here."

"Your highness. Princess." I nodded at her, noting she was wide eyed as she looked around the room. The soldiers here were out of uniform, I myself had gone

shirtless, wearing only thin draw string pants on my lower half. I was amused when Romelle looked me over, and even more so when she realized I had caught her admiring gaze. A pink blush bloomed in her cheeks, the girl turning away from me.

I felt good for her regard, no longer feeling so sweaty and unpresentable. "Just trying to work out some restless energy." I told Lotor.

"Good idea. One I had for myself as well." Lotor said. He released Romelle's arm, and proceeded to unlock his sword belt. I lifted an eyebrow, amused.

"You planning to spar with the soldiers?"

"I was until a better opponent presented himself." Grinned Lotor, laying his sword belt on the nearest bench. He immediately set to removing his tunic, poor Romelle not knowing where to look. "You up for it commander?"

"Any time, your highness." I knew I couldn't beat him in a fair fight, but stranger things had been known to happen. Maybe today would be my lucky day, and I would finally best Prince Lotor.

"Then now." Lotor ordered, tying back his hair into a ponytail. I nodded, and called out a command, the soldiers responding by clearing space in the center of the room's floor mat. "Sit here Romelle." Lotor guided her over to the bench, and raised her hand up so he could plant a kiss on it. "For luck." He added, and I teasingly protested.

"That's not fair. You don't need luck!" The gathered soldiers all laughed, but it was a nervous sound. They knew as well as I did, how efficient a fighter Lotor was. This wouldn't be an easy fight, and we were both likely to be exhausted by the time it was over with.

I walked to the center of the mat, stretching and swinging my arms from side to side. I was already warmed up from my previous exercise, but I allowed a moment's pause for Lotor to limber up. He didn't waste the time in showing off for Romelle, he was taking the fight seriously. I waited for him to finish his warming up stretches, and then Lotor nodded.

"I'm ready."

"'I've been born ready." I retorted with a grin. Lotor gave me his own cocky grin, the two of us walking towards each other. But neither of us bowed. It was a known tactic to kick your opponent when he tried to show you respect, and neither of us was fool enough to fall into that trap. Instead we began circling around each other, expressions as guarded as we could make them. I hoped my face wasn't betraying my intentions, my eyes searching for an opening to attack.

I don't know what Lotor saw when he looked at me, but we ended up lunging forward at the exact same time. Our boisterous battle cries filled the gymnasium, our fists raised. My fist came down first, a punch being swung at Lotor's face. Ever concerned about his good looks being ruined, Lotor quickly aborted his own punch, stepping back from my fist.

My fist swiped through air, and then Lotor was lashing out with his leg. It was a high kick, catching me on the right side of my torso. It didn't hurt that much, it would take many more blows in that spot before the pain could aggravate me enough to concede the fight.

The kick finished, Lotor pivoted on his foot, turning to aim another kick at me. This time I caught his foot, and shoved upwards, trying to knock the prince off his balance. He quickly toppled over, but turned that into a fluid motion, backflipping away from me. Even as his feet touched the ground, I was charging, fists ready and aiming for his front. I actually managed to get in two punches, though it wouldn't be enough to do more than bruise him. And then Lotor was grabbing my wrists, trying to knock me off balance with a violent over the shoulder throw.

Like him, I let my body relax, easing my way into the fall. I rolled as I hit the mat, getting out of the way before Lotor's aimed foot could stomp in the side of my face. Through it all I could hear cheering, the gathered soldiers were enjoying the show. They all had favorites on who would win, though Lotor's supporters far outnumbered mine.

Romelle was somewhere in the gymnasium, watching this spectacle. I had no idea what she was thinking, her voice lost to the soldiers' cries. But I didn't think she would find our fight barbaric. After all she had been present at the arena, cheering her brother on with pride in her eyes. She could handle the violence of two men fighting, even if the two men were of a species known for their savagery.

Rolling to a stop, I did a handsprings jump upwards to get back on my feet. Lotor's fist clocked me in the right temple, he had followed me as I rolled around the mat. He hadn't pulled his punch either, I was dazed to the point I thought I saw stars. But I didn't stop fighting, punching Lotor back with just enough force as he had shown me. It staggered the prince, enough that I grabbed fistfuls of his hair, dragging his face downwards to meet me raising knee.

The blow to his face enraged Lotor, rather than a pained cry, I heard an angry growl. Lotor jerked back from my grip, hair pulling free. He was pissed, eyes flashing as he looked at me. And then he lunged forward, barreling into me, and taking me down to the mat. I landed on my back with Lotor seated on top of me, the prince giving me a vicious look.

"Prince..!" I managed to say, just before he began punching me in the face. He hit me several times before the soldiers moved to draw him off me. Lotor still looked pissed, blood on his lip from where my punch had split it. I could only lay back on the mat, trying to regain my senses as the world spun dizzily around me. My face hurt, and I knew it would be swollen at best. But it didn't feel like my nose was broken, so I would count my stars as lucky for that.

I heard a splash of water, someone had thrown the liquid in Lotor's face to cool him down from his anger. He no longer struggled against the hold on his arms, blinking around in surprise.

"You win." I managed to say in a raspy voice. Lotor stared at me a moment, before he acknowledge my defeat.

"Indeed I do." The soldiers relaxed their grip, and Lotor stepped away from them. "Come Sabbath." He said, thrusting a hand before me to take. "Let's get cleaned up."

"What about Romelle?" I asked, surprised he would leave the princess along in the gymnasium.

"She will be fine." Lotor said, pulling me up off the mat. He then cast a threatening look at the gathered soldiers. "Won't she?" They chorused out an obedient yes, Lotor smirking, sure he had the situation well under hand. I was swaying on my feet, Lotor had hit me too hard too often for me to not be dizzy.

"Romelle..." Lotor paused to gather his tunic and sword belt off of the bench. "I shall return shortly. Wait for me here."

"All right." Her eyes looked not at Lotor, but at me, her concern touching my heart.

"I'm fine." I assured her, but she still remained uncertain.

"Are you?" Romelle asked, and Lotor cut in, impatience in his voice.

"Sabbath said he was fine!"

Her blue eyes widened, she actually took a step back from Lotor. There had been an undercurrent of some ugly emotion in his voice, Lotor not liking that the princes was showing concern over another man. I tried to dismiss it as part of Lotor's normal possessiveness. After all, he considered Romelle his, even if the princess did not yet know that.

"Wait here." He repeated harshly, then stalked off to the gymnasium's showers. I glanced one last time at Romelle, before hurrying after Lotor at a pace that wouldn't make me topple over or throw up.

"Damn it prince..." I said when we were inside the shower room. "You may have given me a concussion!"

"It's nothing less than you deserve for almost breaking my nose!" Lotor retorted, at last wiping the blood of his lower lip. "Now quit your whining and clean up!"

I grumbled under my breath in response to that, shucking my pants before entering a shower stall. I let the water run cold so as to keep me awake and aware. Damn but my face hurt, even for the spray of the shower head on it. It wasn't the first time Lotor had hurt me in a fight, and I knew it probably wouldn't be the last time either. It was the risk one took when they agreed to fight the prince of Doom.

For the first few minutes of our showers, we didn't talk. I didn't know Lotor was also using cold water, all in an attempt to cool off his battle lust and the anger that had risen in him during the fight. When he finally did calm down, it was no surprise his first question was about Romelle. Or more precisely what I thought of her.

"Romelle? She seems nice enough." I said cautiously. "Especially for a princess of a supposedly evil world."

"She is nice." Lotor agreed. "She's just like Allura. Untainted, pure." I felt a shiver go through me at the relish in which he spoke of Romelle's purity.

"She's not completely like Allura." I said, not bothering to do more than wet my hair. And all because I hadn't bothered to take out of the dozens upon dozen of thin braids I normally wore my hair in. "After all..." I added, with a smirk Lotor could not see. "She tolerates you just fine."

"She does more than tolerate me!" Lotor snapped. "She likes me!"

"Does she now...?" I wondered out loud. "Oh well...it's early." I couldn't stop teasing him. "I'm sure by the third day she won't be able to stand you." I laughed when

Lotor let out a growl, the prince annoyed by my words. "And then she really will be like Allura in that regard."

"I'm going to marry Romelle." Lotor suddenly announced, and I nearly choked on the water.

"What? Since when?"

"It was decided last night." Lotor replied. "My father is going to allow it."

"What about HER father?" I asked. "King Cova doesn't seem very fond of you, or thrilled by your association with his daughter."

"Cova doesn't need to know until after the fact."

"How are you going to keep it a secret from him?" I demanded, switching off the water. "And why would the princess not tell her own father about her impending nuptials? Are you two going to elope?" I didn't think Lotor would be able to persuade Romelle to even consider marrying him, let alone engaging in a secret of this magnitude.

"No." Lotor said curtly, lingering in the shower stall. I was already drying off, towel rubbing at my hair.

"Then how?"

"Romelle won't know either." My brow furrowed at that, I almost growled.

"Just what are you planning?"

"There's going to be a betrayal." Lotor said, finally exiting the shower stall. He reached for a towel, and set to drying off, a smirk on his face. "You know how my father is. He'd never share wealth with another kingdom. Let alone divide up his empire with Pollux."

"I know that." I retorted. "Even giving them Arus is expecting too much of Zarkon's nonexistent generosity."

"So then it shouldn't come as a surprise to you, that once...IF Avok defeats Voltron, we will turn him on Pollux. That planet is useless, it can go rot for all my father cares."

I paused in the act of pulling on my pants, thinking over what Lotor said. It could work, Avok's mind would no longer remember his family, his planet, or any of the ties he had to that world and it's people. He'd easily go on a rampage wherever Doom released him, and without someone to stop Avok, the former prince would end up destroying his own planet.

"Romelle will surely hate you for this." I said at last, pulling tight the drawstring of my pants.

"She will get over it." Lotor said coldly.

"What if she doesn't?"

"Then she can be miserable for all I care!" Lotor retorted. "I intend to have that girl for my bride. For both Romelle AND Allura to be my wives."

"Both princesses? Aren't you aiming big." I muttered softly.

"I haven't given up on Allura." Lotor informed me. "Avok will defeat Voltron, Arus will fall. I will be there to offer comfort to Allura in her time of need. She'll have no one to turn to. She will HAVE to love me."

It sounded to me as though Lotor was setting himself up for a lot of heartbreak and bitter disappointments. I was sure Allura would never love him, not if he conquered her planet. She'd hate him as much as Romelle would hate him for Doom's betrayal. All three would be miserable, and a cycle of never ending abuse would begin, with Lotor at the heart of it.

"Yeah, good luck with that." I muttered insincerely. "So how is this all going to go down? Where is the big fight between Avok and Voltron supposed to take place?"

"On Pollux." Lotor answered, pulling on his pants. "In a few days time, Avok and one of our armadas will accompany Romelle's father back to Pollux. My father is already having Cova draft up a challenge to Arus. A suitable one that will have the Voltron Force come running. For good or bad, it will all take place on Pollux." He grinned then, pulling on his boots. "I cannot wait to see the resulting battle!"

"Yeah, it will be something all right." I agreed.

It didn't sound like there would be much for me to do on Pollux, since the focus of this fight would be Avok and Voltron. But I welcomed the chance to get away from castle Doom. I was also curious, eager to find out the outcome of such a match up, for good or bad.

"Fear not Sabbath. It's about to get a whole lot busier in the Empire." Lotor's grin vanished as his tunic was pulled over his head. His voice came out muffled by the fabric. "When Voltron falls, we can concentrate on new worlds! Think of the battles that will ensue, the strategies we'll have to formulate!"

"You always did like a challenge." I said, knowing it was true, be the challenge a war or a woman.

"And it's not like I'll let married life change me." Lotor added, securing his sword belt around his waist. "I'll still be active in the battles. You know me, I won't be content to stay behind and let someone else fight for me."

"That's true." I nodded, following Lotor out of the shower room. "You always did like getting your hands dirty..."

Lotor laughed, but otherwise did not respond, having spied Romelle. She was seating where we had left her, hands folded o her lap as she watched the soldiers battle. But her back was stiff, she was tense. A tension that did not flee until we stopped before her, the girl rising to her feet. I noticed she immediately looked to me before the prince, as though trying to gauge how bad my injuries were.

"Don't worry." I told her. "It looks worse than it hurts, I'm sure."

"And he will only get uglier as the bruises form." Lotor told her, smirking. "Now Romelle, I don't know about you, but all this fighting has worked me up an appetite." I couldn't help but wonder which of his hungers he wanted to feed, noting the dark look of desire in his eyes whenever he gazed at his future bride.

Romelle didn't look like she wanted to eat, hesitating in answering Lotor. "Well, I..." His communicator went off, and Lotor swore. He immediately switched it on, issuing an angry snarl into it.

"WHAT?"

The voice that came out of the device was speaking in Drule, sounding anxious. The man told Lotor his father wanted his presence immediately in the King's study, Zarkon wanting to talk about the plans for both Arus and Pollux.

"Problem?" Romelle asked, looking at Lotor who was sighing as he put away the communicator.

"I'm afraid so." Lotor said with an exaggerated frown. "My father has an urgent matter for me. I swear, he depends on me almost too much. Will you excuse me Romelle?"

"Of course."

"Sabbath, I am entrusting the princess to your hands." I nodded at that. "Take Romelle wherever she wishes to go." He didn't have to speak out loud that some places would be off limits to her, trusting me to know not to bring her to the nastiest parts of the castle.

"She will be safe under my guard." I told him, watching as Lotor raised Romelle's hand to kiss it good-bye.

"I will try to return to you as swiftly as I can."

"Oh please! Do not rush your father's business on my account." She protested. "I'm sure it's much more important than playing tour guide to some visiting princess."

"I might normally agree, except when that princess is you." Lotor had the pleasure of her blush, before he turned and walked away from us. I couldn't help but think that sometimes he laid it on a little too thick with the charm where Romelle was concerned.

"Are you really all right?" Romelle's voice drew me away from my thoughts. I turned and she lifted her hand towards my right cheek. I widened my eyes in surprise, not expecting her to touch me. She didn't complete the act, my surprised look must have frightened her off. "You don't need a doctor?"

"Drules have thick skulls." I told her, trying to force a smile on my face. I was too rattled by the fact she had intended to touch my face to let it come naturally. "Lotor would have to be a lot more vicious than that to do me any real harm."

"You mean that wasn't the prince at his most vicious?" She actually shuddered then, crossing her arms over her chest to hug herself for warmth. I debated on how to answer that, and feared she would find out first hand how vicious Lotor could be.

"Sometimes he's worse." I finally admitted. "He's knocked me around a few times in the past, even broke some bones." She was suitable horrified at that, pretty mouth falling open in a round o of shock. "It's fine though. I've gotten a few licks in myself on the prince. And maybe someday I'll finally be able to win in a fight with him."

"You've never won?" I shook my head no, and she frowned. "And yet you continue to fight him, knowing he will hurt you, all on the slim chance you might win? I don't understand. Is it pride that motivates you?"

"Maybe just a little. I mean who wouldn't want to beat the greatest fighter in the galaxy?" I was sheepish then. It seemed so silly with Romelle examining the fighting like that. "Come, are you hungry? I am..."

"I'm...actually not ready to eat." Romelle said. She seemed to fidget before me, as though frightened to tell me what was really on her mind. "Did you really mean it the other night? About if I needed anything...to ask you?"

I was instantly even more alert than I had been, nodding. "What do you need?"

"'I want to see my brother. To see Avok..." She said, then hurried to explain. "I kept asking his highness, but Lotor kept putting off my request." Romelle lowered her eyes. "He doesn't understand why I need to see my brother. To be with him one last time."

"But you think I do?"

"I know you do!" Romelle exclaimed, her eyes raising to show her fierce belief in that. "After all, you were the one who told me to spend as much time with Avok as I possibly could before his transformation. So please..." She clasped her hands together, expression almost begging. "Take me to Haggar's lair?"

I thought of what she told me, how Lotor didn't want her to see Avok. I might be risking the prince's displeasure, but I also felt it wrong to deny Romelle this simple request. She had the right to visit with her brother, especially considering he would soon be a mindless monster, unable to recognize her, or derive pleasure from her visit. I nodded my agreement, and her face lit up with her joy. I couldn't help but be dazzled, her beauty magnifying a dozen times over when she gave a true smile. I found myself smiling back at her, and even then I knew to relish her smile. For in the coming months, that smile would become a not often given rarity, Lotor all but beating the joy out of Romelle.

To Be Continued!

If anyone else having this problem? I am not getting any notices from fanfic net...neither notices of fics being updated, or review alerts...maybe not even PM alerts! It's been like this for two weeks now for me..-_-

Michelle

Wade Wells, oh thank you! I'm so happy you like Sabbath and hope you will continue to like him even as he makes bad choices. He's...how should I put this...he becomes a guilty accomplice to what Doom is doing, and finds it hard to toss aside his loyalty to his Empire and people for someone he just met. Even if that someone is making him feel tremendous doubts about everything he's known. I've been hard at work on this story...I think I'm gonna update twice a week at least! I just wrote 21 last night but it was an emotionally draining chapter...*giggles* I guess Sabbath could be kinda like the Drule version of Keith. He's a good guy. I first created him for a different story, and decided that some of my Drule characters could be recurring cast members. So far just Sabbath and Ryder have had that honor of appearing as alternate universe versions of themselves. :) I hope you will continue reading, and enjoying, even when the story gets darker. Right now it's almost light hearted...the real bad stuff starts to happen once all that stuff goes down on Pollux and there after. *feels bad for Romelle and Sabbath too.*

Lotor Sincline, thank you! And you got that right! Lotor is putting on a good act, but it starts to crack a little here and there even before they get to Pollux. He just gets worse once the Pollux betrayal is out in the open.

Feli3, thank you! I am so happy by your words. :D Thank you so much. This Lotor for this story is a mix of both Lotor of Voltron and Sincline of Go Lion. He does some pretty bad things, worse than what we would have seen in the Voltron version of the show. Heck, I explain this story as a mix of orignal, Voltron, and Go Lion. I've been diligently at work on this every since I had the idea. And cracked out my Voltron tapes for research purposes for the Romelle episodes! It won't just be the "My brother is a robeast" episode. I'm gonna try to work in all the Romelle episodes into this story. I just feel a little overwhelmed at the thought of trying to show the time passing. Especially since Romelle seemed to disapear for quite a few episodes at a time. X_X

I'll keep quiet about what happens exactly with Sabbath Romelle and Lotor, but you are pretty close. *nods* And Lotor is so greedy here. Wanting both princesses! I saw that in the episode, he had a line about how both princesses would be his, and I ran with that concept. He's pretty delusional when it comes to his imaginary love life. Thank you so much that you like Sabbath! I'm thrilled by the positive reactions he gets. I hope to finish the Merla Lotor story sooner or later. I never say my stories or abandoned..I had this one Valkyrie Profile story I started in like 2002...only four chapters. It wasn't until 2006 when the second game came out, and I got my inspiration back, that I finished that story. (Which was something like 50 chapters.) Of course I don't want the Merla Lotor story to be a four year break between chapters. Maybe I need to sit down and reread it and try and get my inspiration geared back towards that fic...

A while back I was thinking about a Haggar story, maybe a one shot...I have to look through my logs again cause it came up in a conversation with my friend Nichole. We were talking about what a tragic character Haggar can be...this is the same friend who inspired me for the Merla Lotor story...! Anyway, enough babbling from me! Thanks again!


	5. Chapter 5

Haggar's laboratory was located in an isolated part of the castle, the South tower all but abandoned of people. It was the way the witch and King Zarkon preferred, the pair wanting an air of secrecy around Haggar's work. It wasn't often that I had a chance to visit this part of the castle, and never before had I called upon the witch without Lotor present. I didn't like Haggar, but then no one did, not even the King. And like many inside the castle, I didn't trust the witch as far as I could throw her.

I was uneasy as I led Romelle to the witch's lair, and trying not to show it. Romelle was on my arm, actually clinging to it as her nerves grew. She might not know much about Haggar, but she could read the menacing atmosphere that grew worse as we climbed the spiral staircase of the tower. It was even darker here, what little light there was only made the shadows more pronounced.

I was glad to lend my arm to the princess, knowing the limited light made it all the more difficult for a human to navigate the narrow stairs. Many a slave had slipped, and fallen, each accident ensuring they earned their death. If the fall didn't kill them, their masters did, for what use was a slave with a broken body? Most Drules would not have the patience to wait for a slave's injury to heal, content to put them down like an animal rather than care to pay for their medical treatment.

It was with that knowledge in my head, that I took extra care in guiding Romelle. She was no slave, but I didn't want to risk her falling. As displeased as Lotor would be if she was injured, I knew I would echo his displeasure. Romelle was in my care, and she had been kind to me, showing concern over the injuries I had suffered at Lotor's hands.

She was quickly endearing herself to me, though Romelle was probably unaware of the effect she was having. On me and on Lotor, the girl affecting the prince to the point he wanted to marry her. That was astounding in and of itself, for Lotor had previously insisted he would marry Allura, or marry no one at all. Of course I was amused at his grand scheme to make both princesses his wives. It just proved how big a dreamer Lotor was, not to mention revealed how greedy he was when it came to women.

When we finally cleared the last of the steps, we were on the landing that led into Haggar's domain. A long corridor stretched out before us, the few flickering lights illuminating the door at the very end. The hall was nearly empty, save for two soldiers who stood guard on either side of that door. They didn't look thrilled to be on duty for the witch, and most likely they feared that she would force them to volunteer for her experiments. It wouldn't be the first time she had done something like that, the witch not caring if she used her own kind to further her research.

It wasn't often that a Drule was turned into a robeast, but it didn't mean it did not happen. I remember the last commander in charge of the Arus invasion, a man name Yurak. It hadn't been enough to kill him, they had decided to turn him into a monster, and make him fight Voltron one last time. Big surprise that he had lost, our robeasts NEVER seemed to win against that robot.

Would Avok be any different? I did not know. But I wanted him to succeed, to give Doom the victory it had been longing for.

"Commander Sabbath." One of the soldiers had recognized me, drawing up from his slouch. "What business do you have with the witch?"

"It is not Haggar we've come to see." I told him. "The princess would like a moment with her brother." Understanding dawned in his gray colored eyes, the soldier glancing at his companion. "Problem?"

'"Witch Haggar is currently not here." Explained the soldier. "She had a matter to attend to with the King." I wondered if it was the same matter that Lotor had been called about, but I didn't press for details.

"Is that a problem?" Romelle spoke up from besides me, drawing the soldier's eyes to her. "She needn't be present for my visit."

"I'm not sure this is wise. You know how Haggar is. She doesn't like anyone messing around in her laboratory unattended."

"Well, then it is a good thing Commander Sabbath is here." Answered Romelle. "He will make sure I keep my hands to myself where Haggar's spells are concerned."

I almost chuckled then, the soldier looking displeased at her reasoning. "It will be fine." I tried to reassure them. "I will take full responsibility should something happen."

"You better." Warned one of the Drules in an ominous tone. "I rather it be your neck than mine that gets slit!"

I felt the tremble go through Romelle's body, the girl shivering at those words. She clung all the more firmly to my arm, waiting until we had been ushered into Haggar's laboratory to speak. "Is it that risky? What we're doing, I mean?" Her worried blue eyes stared up at me, she began to chew on her bottom lip. "I don't want to get you into trouble..."

"You won't." I quickly assured her with a smile. "Even Haggar is not so cold hearted to deny a sister visit with her brother one last time..." I wasn't exactly sure of what I was saying, Hagagr wasn't known for being nurturing. She probably wouldn't care for the sentimentality of a sister who loved her brother with all her heart. She might even enjoy denying her this request, relishing the upset she would cause in Romelle.

But Haggar wasn't here now, which not only suited me, but worked in our favor. Walking with Romelle besides me, we navigated the narrow space between tables, ignoring the potions, and experiments laid out on them. Romelle wisely kept her eyes averted from the sight of some large animal that had been cut open in several places. It's guts lay exposed, but all the blood had been drained from it's body.

"Where is Avok?" Romelle asked, and I shrugged. The witch's lair was actually composed of several rooms, she had the entire floor of the southern tower to herself. I knew there was a library and bedroom, in addition to the cluttered room we were currently walking through. But there was one other chamber, at the very back of her laboratory, and it was there that she created her monsters. It was there that we would find Avok, the human prince resting on a cot.

"Avok!" Romelle immediately released her grip on my arm, all but flying to her brother's side. He roused himself at her cry, sitting up and looking shocked to see her.

"Romelle?"

"Brother!" She went to hug him, then drew up short, as though she had only just realized he wore nothing more than a loin cloth. All the muscles on his tanned body were revealed, arms and legs bulging with them. I couldn't be sure, the tunic had covered him so well before, but was he larger in size even just a little? Romelle was looking him over critically, her back was to me so I couldn't see her expression. But I saw her raise her hands, bringing her fingers to hover over the prominent veins in his arms. "What..what is this?"

"It has begun." Avok replied, and she shook her head in denial. "The witch has been inundating me with power at regular intervals. Giving me as much raw energy as I can handle at a time." He flexed an arm, showing off for us both. "Already I can feel my strength has increased. It won't be long before I am invincible!"

"Avok...you must stop this." Romelle said, and I startled in reaction. I hadn't expected her to try and talk Avok down from becoming a robeast! "It is not too late..."

"It's been too late ever since we arrived on Doom." Avok retorted. His gaze flicked my way, he was curious. "Who is this?"

"Sabbath's my name." I said, nodding at him. He was studying me as intently as I had him, and then he snorted.

"Where's Lotor?"

"The prince has business with his father." I explained, even as Romelle began to speak.

"It doesn't matter where his highness has gone! Avok, you must listen to me. The plan has changed, father's intentions, his ambitions have been corrupted by the Drule King." Avok looked at her, but said nothing, Romelle's voice becoming desperate. "It won't be just Arus they use you for. Father and King Zarkon have made an alliance, one where they will divide up new worlds between them. New worlds that you conquer for them!"

There was little reaction from him. It made me suspect this information wasn't new to him. It also made me wonder, had Haggar been informing Avok of what was going on? I wouldn't put it past her, the witch taking pleasure in revealing to Avok he would be trapped as a robeast indefinitely. And yet he wasn't despairing at the news, his expression serious but otherwise lacking emotion. Was he already so far gone into the transformation process that his feelings were starting to be stripped away? Or was there something more to it?

"Arus will fall." Avok said, his tone patient as though he was explaining something to a child. "The ruling house will be demolished, the people enslaved. Our people, will finally be able to leave Pollux. To return to the mother world, and enjoy the riches that fertile planet has to offer. It's what we've been dreaming of for years, what our people have been wishing for. Would you deny them that?"

"N...no..." Romelle was hesitant. "I wouldn't..."

"Then you understand why I must continue on this course." Continued Avok, looking certain he had managed Romelle. I wondered if his mind was already addled from the effects of his treatment at Haggar's hands, for surely anyone else could tell Romelle was still not at ease.

"There has to be another way." She said. "Surely we can find a way to defeat Arus without you having to become a robeast..."

"There is no other way."

"We won't know until we try!" Romelle insisted. "Avok please, come with me. Walk away now while you still can..." She was reaching for his hand, but he would not allow her to take it. "Avok!"

"Romelle, stop this at once!" He ordered. "I will not be swayed from this course. I will become a robeast, and I will destroy Voltron. The plan is perfect!"

"Don't you understand?" Her voice was rising with urgency, leaving me grateful Haggar's laboratory was soundproofed against screams. "They are never going to let you go! You'll never revert back to your old self, NEVER!"

"It will be a small price to pay..." Even I found him more foolish than brave, his self sacrificing attitude hardly admirable. Especially when it was causing such distress to his sister. "I can go to my fate at peace. And do you know why?" Romelle shook her head no, Avok smiling sadly at her. "Because I will give you Arus. I will ensure you, our brother Bandor, and our people no longer need to live in hardship."

She was silent for a moment, just letting Avok touch her cheek. But I could see the trembling shaking her slim frame, she was struggling so bravely to remain calm and composed. "You won't even remember me by the time Haggar is through! You won't remember father, Bandor, our people. You won't remember what it is you sacrificed yourself for, you will care about nothing! Nothing save anger, a rage that will motivate you to constantly destroy! Do you want that? Do you want to forget who you are, and everything you stood for?"

"Romelle." He sighed, visibly frustrated that she wouldn't cease her attempts at persuading him to not become a robeast. "I am but just one man."

"My brother."

"I am also crown prince of our people. And I know with that title, comes sacrifice. It would be selfish of me, selfish of you too, to try and stop this. For what is one man's life when compared to the needs of the people...?" She was silent, leaving me to wish I could see her face in the moment. "If through my sacrifice, I can improve the situation of many, I have to do this. You understand, do you not? The good of many trumps the good of a single being."

I have to admit, I was impressed by his words even if I thought him a fool. He wasn't like any prince I had ever met, most, including Lotor, wouldn't have given up their lives to spare the discomfort of others. They would have found someone else to do this distasteful thing in their place, would have sacrificed as many as possible to keep their own necks safe.

Grudging admiration was in my eyes as I met Avok's gaze. He nodded at me, and did one last stoke of his sister's cheek. "Thank you for bringing her to me."

"It wasn't a problem." I said gruffly.

"This wasn't the way it was supposed to be." Romelle tone was resigned in it's sadness. "You should have been around to enjoy the success of your endeavors." I heard a door slam shut, Romelle jumping in fright at that loud sound. Avok stiffened, and pressed a finger to her lips.

"Speak no more of this. The witch has returned."

I could hear more noise now, the witch was moving through the rooms, surely heading for this one. What would she do if she learned Romelle had tried to change her brother's mind this late in the game? Avok looked at me once more, expression grim. "I am trusting you to keep quiet about this as well."

I nodded. The witch wouldn't hear about this from me. "You have my word." I didn't know if that would reassure him, not many people trusted the words of strangers. Especially if that stranger was a Drule.

"So...have you been seeing the sights of Doom?" Avok was trying to lead us into a conversation to fool the witch into believing this had been a normal visit. Romelle let out a shaky breath, attempting to compose herself.

"There hasn't been much to see." She admitted, her voice no longer betraying her upset. I was pleased by her control, the command she had over her feelings. She might be conflicted and in turmoil, but no one would be able to tell that now. "I haven't even left the castle, save to go to the arena."

"We'll return home soon enough." Replied Avok. "Just as soon as my transformation is complete. And then you will have Arus to enjoy." Again he looked at me. "Have you been there? Is it as beautiful as they say?"

"I have and it is." I had accompanied Lotor twice now to Arus. The world was a fertile paradise, untouched by pollution. I had enjoyed seeing the sights of that world, as did many of the other Drules. We all had an appreciation for beauty, and it did the Drules good to see just what it is they were fighting for.

"You'll have to tell me about someday..." Romelle said, just as Haggar was entering the room.

"Why talk about it, when you will soon see it?" Haggar asked, her screechy sounding voice echoing unpleasantly in the room. Romelle immediately turn to greet Haggar, the witch nodding her head. "Child, Prince Lotor is looking for you."

"His business with his father is over already?" Romelle asked, and Haggar nodded.

"I wouldn't keep his highness waiting for much longer." It was a none too subtle urging, Haggar wanting to be rid of Romelle.

"Please...just a minute longer..." begged the princess, and Haggar sighed. At the same time, Avok asked a question, his voice showing his upset for the first time since we had come to him.

"Just why is Lotor looking for my sister?" He demanded, voice gruff with angry worry. "What business could he possibly have with you?"

Romelle started to turn back to her brother, but it was Haggar who answered. "Oh? Did I forget to tell you? The prince has made it his mission to see to the princess' comfort." She let out a wicked cackle, amused by the way Avok's eyes narrowed into a glare. "They have been nearly inseparable these past two days. I dare say he is smitten with the princess."

"Smitten?" Avok grolwed the word like it was the worst of curses, Romelle actually flinching in response. "Romelle, I do not like this. I do not like him. He has a high handed reputation with women."

"He's been nothing but..." Romelle hesitated, needing to settle on a word. "Nothing but charming to me."

"He's got all the charm of a snake!" snapped Avok. "He is not suitable for a lady of refined breeding. I do not want you spending any more time with him."

"I'm afraid that is all but unavoidable." Haggar wasn't sorry at all, smirking at Avok. "The prince is very insistent on spending time with Princess Romelle."

"Shouldn't he have a war to plan?" Avok demanded.

"The real work won't start until we arrive on Pollux." explained Haggar. "It will be a busy time then, for all involved." She smiled, flashing her fangs. "I wouldn't begrudge the prince for wanting to spend time with a woman as beautiful as your sister."

"Damn him!" Avok grumbled. He grasped hold of Romelle's right arm, his look urgent, his words commanding. "See to him briefly. Make whatever excuses you need to, but end this flirtation before it goes any further!"

"But..."

"Promise me Romelle!" demanded Avok, and Romelle whimpered in pain.

"You're hurting me..." Avok went ram rod stiff with shock, guilt flashing in his eyes. He immediately let go of Romelle's arm, but from my vantage point in the room I couldn't see if she would bruise from his grip.

"Forgive me." He said, and then Haggar was clapping her hands together.

"As riveting as this all is, visiting time is over with." She glanced at me, eyes narrowed with annoyance. I had a feeling she would have words with me at the first available opportunity, all to reprimand me for bringing Romelle for an unscheduled visit with Avok.

"I am not through talking with my sister." Avok told her, giving off the impression he would not be content to let Romelle leave without gaining her promise first.

"Yes, you are. Its time for your next treatment. It cannot be delayed any further." She made shooing motions with her hands. "Now off you go, the both of you!" Avok growled, but Haggar ignored him. "Commander, the princess if you please. I'm sure she doesn't want to see the details of what I am doing to her brother."

Truth be known, I didn't want to watch the transformation process either, so I stepped closer to Romelle. "Come along your highness." She nodded, and turned to throw her arms around her brother, giving him what might be the last hug they ever shared. Haggar made impatient noises during this, moving to fiddle with buttons on a control panel.

I took hold of Romelle's arm, and gently pulled her away from her brother. She would have lingered for an eternity otherwise, Romelle loathe to leave her brother to the fate he had decided for himself.

"Good-bye..." She whispered, allowing me to lead her out of the room. The door swiftly sealed shut behind us, but not before we heard Haggar cackling out a comment.

"Do try not to scream so much this time. It hurts my ears."

I inwardly cursed Haggar for saying that, knowing she purposefully said it within earshot of Romelle. The princess made a dismayed sound, a shudder wracking her body as we walked through the cluttered workshop of Haggar.

When we emerged out into the hall, the guards were gone, surely dismissed by Haggar. Romelle was still shaking, turning to look back at the door that led into Haggar's laboratory. I gently tugged on her arm, trying to get her to move, but she remained standing there.

"I'm never going to see my brother again, am I?" She asked me, her shoulders sagging. "At least...not in the body I know and love."

"I'm sorry." It was the only thing I could say, and it was as close to a confirmation as she needed.

"It's just not fair." She still wasn't looking at me, I could only see the side of her face. "There should have been another way. One without cost to us..." A sigh then, Romelle making a fist out of her right hand. "Do you know we hadn't even tried to explore any other options since Avok came up with this mad plan of his? Not even one?"

"Really?" I was surprised. "I would have thought Avok would have exhausted all other routes before going to this extreme."

"He didn't. None of them did. Not my father, not his advisors...no one." She frowned then. "Is Arus really worth it?"

"Doom thinks it is." I said. "We wouldn't be putting so much time and effort into the invasion otherwise."

"I have a bad feeling about this...about all of it. My brother, Arus, this alliance..." Romelle was starting to tremble again, she was on the verge of an emotional break down. "We're on the wrong course...and there is nothing I can do to stop it." She turned to me then, her eyes glistening with wetness. "No one will listen to me, no one will take my fear seriously."

"I will." I was serious when I said it, listening to her sniffle.

"I...I am begginning to wish we had never come to Doom." She confided, struggling not to break down and cry. "I wish...we had tried some other way. But my people have seen the struggle the Doom Empire has had with Arus and it's defender. It led them to believe that if an Empire as vast in size as Doom, could not take down one simple planet, what chance did Pollux's meager military have."

"I had wondered about that. For a people who hold such a grudge, they've been inactive when it comes to attacking Arus."

"We've been biding our time." Romelle explained. "At first Arus was under Doom's rule, sixteen years would go by before Arus fought back to regain it's freedom. This last year has been interesting to say the least. Watching and waiting, wondering if Doom would ever regain control of Arus. We knew we couldn't fight both Arus and Doom, and thus my brother came up with this insane scheme of his. Truthfully I didn't think his offer would be attractive enough for King Zarkon to take seriously...I hoped and I prayed he wouldn't..."

Her voice broke on a sob, her control had snapped. She began to openly cry, a hand pressed to her lips in an attempt to muffle her weeping. Her shoulders shook continuously, Romelle lowering her eyes. It was a heart wrenching sight to see, this brave girl breaking down into tears. I shifted my stance, not sure what to do now that she was crying. After all, what did I know of comforting a woman? But the sight of her tears made me want to try.

"Romelle..."

"Sabbath!" She surprised me by flinging herself against my chest, her hands forming fists that gripped the fabric of my shirt. She didn't look up at me, crying into my chest. I stood there shocked, completely unprepared to have her in my arms. "Sabbath, tell me it will all work out." She begged me, even as I stood there unmoving. "Lie to me if you have to, but tell me this is the right thing to do!"

I didn't want to lie to her so I just made a soothing sound, a soft croon in response to her weeping. I knew this was bad, in more ways that one, Lotor waiting and looking for her. He would not be pleased to know she was in my arms, and yet I couldn't resist putting them around her. The hug was awkward, I was holding her like she was a delicate porcelain doll. Her trembling increased, she was clinging so hard to my shirt, not saying anything now.

I do not know how long we stood there, time seemed to freeze. Lotor would be very angry about being made to wait for her, but I knew I could not return Romelle until she had regained control of her emotions. Lotor would not understand her tears, would not be appreciative of her upset, nor would he know how to comfort her anymore than I did. But he would lack the patience to try, and might be blunt enough to tell Romelle to just get over it.

"Thank you." Romelle abruptly pulled back, her face composed. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, and her eyes were red. But she was no longer crying. I fumbled for something to wipe her face on, eventually using the sleeve of my shirt to dry off her face. "We mustn't keep the prince waiting any longer."

I knew she was right, but still I hesitated. "Are you going to be all right now?"

"No. But I will manage." She said, her head held high. She seemed so regal in the moment, I was in awe of her. If not for her reddened eyes, I wouldn't have known she had just been crying her eyes out. I didn't know it then, but Romelle had trusted me enough to allow me to see her when her emotions had been at their worst. It was a trust that could have shattered from the events that would soon happen, but I like to think it only grew stronger.

To Be Continued...

I feel like I better warn people before they get too caught up in the story. This is not a typical romance type fic from me. I didn't even list it as romance here, but as hurt comfort and drama. Lotor does a lot of nasty things later on in the story, especially to poor Romelle and Sabbath. I know the first chapters are deceptive...it's the calm before the storm happens. But once the stuff goes down on Pollux, Lotor stops holding back..heck, he starts cracking a little before this, and starts showing hints of his true nature to Romelle. I'm kinda scared, cause I think Lotor fans will be mad at me for my portrayal of Lotor here...So my whole point is...please...if you want a happy story, try one of my other fics. This one is very dark but there is hope for the end! But it will be a very rough journey to get there...X_X

Michelle

Wade Wells, thanks again! I'm aiming for that happy ending, even if it's rough times to get there. Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm so happy!


	6. Chapter 6

There was always some kind of meal being served in Castle Doom. As such, the dining room was usually packed with people, Nobles and officers that held a high rank in the military. The feasting here was always extravagant, Zarkon not skimping on the money he spent on impressing his court. While others on the planet might be starving and suffering, the Drules inside the castle were growing fat and well fed.

That evening, I was fortunate to arrive to the sight of Lotor and Romelle, the prince sitting at the head of the table. The princess was to the left of him, picking at the food on her plate. She seemed to have little appetite since arriving on Doom, going from one upset to another. I worried if this continued, she'd wilt away, and hoped that Lotor was doing his best to coax her into eating.

"Sabbath!" Lotor called out loudly, gesturing at me with the hand that held a large leg of some kind of bird. It was still thick with meat, the prince had only enjoyed a few bites of the bird. "Join us."

I was surprised at the invitation, especially considering there had been a noticeable space around Lotor and Romelle. The other diners had left them in isolation, allowing the prince to continue his seduction in private.

"If you're sure." I said, walking over to their side of the table. I would take the seat to the right of Lotor, Romelle offering a smile to me.

"Hello Commander."

"I've told you before, it's Sabbath." I reminded her, and she smiled even more.

"What have you two been up to?" I asked. I had not seen Romelle or Lotor since returning the princess to his care. It didn't mean she hadn't been in my thoughts, concern for her emotional well being weighing heavy on my mind.

"Oh here and there." Lotor said, which told me nothing really. "I was just telling Romelle about perhaps tomorrow we could go to one of the planet's cities." There was a noticeable slur to Lotor's speech, it alarmed me enough to wonder just how much he had been drinking. I glanced at his glass, seeing it was full of a blood red liquid. No doubt it was his favorite brand of berry, the wine imported from a planet call Tyrus.

Romelle also had a glass of the wine, but like the food on her plate, she wasn't partaking of it. I couldn't help but think Lotor would be disappointed by that. Surely he had intended to loosen Romelle up with drink to better succeed at his seduction of her. Instead he was the one who was well on the way to being totally drunk, and his speech wasn't the only thing that was being affected. His eyes were drooping, a heavy lidded look to them.

"Which city were you thinking of?" I asked, a slave girl approaching to put a portion of the day's feast before me. The roasted bird was the featured meal, it's flesh charred but succulent. I immediately began to eat, but stayed alert to the conversation.

"Most likely the kingdom's capital." Answered Lotor, drinking more from his glass.

"Yensuva?" I asked, surprised. "Isn't that a bit far from here?"

"That it is." Lotor agreed, his expression more smirk than smile. "We may have to spend the night at a hotel."

So that was his game! Get Romelle out of the castle, isolate her from her family and entourage, trapping her at a hotel with him. I wondered if he would even bother to get them separate rooms, or if he would arrange for there to only be one available. For some reason I found annoyance welling in me. I didn't like the thought of Lotor tricking Romelle any more than I liked the thought of him seducing her. But I did not know how to stop this, there was little I could do to object.

I tried anyway, offering up a subtle protest. "I don't know about Yensuva." I took a drink from my cup. "There's not much of interest there. Especially for a princess." I smiled at Romelle. "If you really want to see one of Doom's cities, I would go to Walnov. At this time of year, they should be holding their annual fair." Lotor shot me a dark look, annoyed by my suggestion. I pretended not to notice, leaning back in my seat. "Plus there is shopping..."

"Shopping?" Romelle's interest was immediately piqued.

"Walnov is known as the fashion capital of the Doom Empire." I knew how to play on a lady's interest, tempting her with the thought of new clothing. "There's plenty to choose from, it won't just be Drule clothing that is on sale in Walnov."

Romelle glanced at Lotor, who was trying not to scowl. "Could we not go to Walnov tomorrow?"

"I was..." He hesitated, the drink was affecting his ability to think quickly. "I was hoping to show you the robeast racing fields in Yensuva."

"We could do that another time couldn't we?" Romelle asked. I hid a smile behind my glass, knowing robeasts couldn't compare to new clothing as far as a woman was concerned.

"We'll be leaving soon for Pollux." Lotor reminded her. "Avok's transformation is almost completed."

"Yes, but...Pollux and Doom are allies now." Romelle pointed out. "There is nothing to prevent a future visit. To the capital, and to any other city you want to show me."

Lotor paused, swallowing down the remainder of his wine before answering. "I suppose." He said grudgingly. Romelle immediately lighted up with a dazzling smile, happy she had persuaded him. Lotor set down his cup between them, staring at her with a slack jawed expression. I couldn't blame him, Romelle was stunning when she was happy.

"Romelle..." Lotor's tone was as husky as his voice was slurred, the prince reaching to take both her hands in his. They ended up turning in their seats so they could face each other, Lotor staring into her eyes.

"Yes, Lotor?" Romelle asked, when it became apparent that was all Lotor was going to do. I could see how uncomfortable it made her, to have him just staring at her. Especially with that dark look in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to devour her, lust practically rising off of him as steam.

"You're so beautiful." He sighed happily. "Especially when you smile."

"Er...thank you..." Her smile had dimmed, but he didn't seem to notice.

"No need to thank me when I speak the truth." Lotor mumbled. His thumbs were caressing the back of her hands, he might not even realize he was doing it. Romelle seemed to grow embarrassed by his attention, the faintest of blushes appearing on her cheeks. I felt bad for them both, the awkwardness apparent to all save Lotor. But I didn't know how to stop him, to save him from making a complete fool of himself before her.

"Beautiful, isn't she, Sabbath." Lotor suddenly drew me into the exchange, though he didn't look my way. I was nowhere near as engaging as the pretty princess, and frankly I was surprised he remember that there was others in the room with them.

"Oh yes. Very beautiful." I kept my tone bland, knowing a drunk Lotor was a dangerous one. His mood would be quick to change, and if I agreed too strongly, his anger might be unleashed. That was one thing I didn't want to be the focus of, none of us did.

"See Romelle? It's agreed." His grin was happy, Lotor pleased that I had backed up his flattery. "So very, very beautiful..." He sighed then, tone wistful. "It makes me...makes me want things."

I winced at that, wondering just what sort of nonsense Lotor would blurt out next. Romelle appeared to be morbidly curious, asking a question as she tried to pull back her hands from his. "Things, what kind of things?"

Lotor held on, actually pulling on her so that she had to lean in to him. A slave was approaching, a large pitcher of wine in her hands. I noticed her out the corner of my eye, but hadn't expected her to approach Lotor's glass, not in the middle of his drunken love confession to Romelle.

"All kinds of things." Lotor said, almost falling off his chair in an attempt to lean into Romelle. I had to admit, I was watching in horrified fascination, wondering what he would say or do next. "I've wondered what you taste like..."

I wanted to cover my face, feeling embarrassed for them both. Romelle had frozen at his words, her eyes widening as she stared back at him. I couldn't blame her for being speechless, especially with an amorous Drule prince saying such things to her. She probably had little to no experience with so blunt a flirtation. I was betting with how protective her brother Avok had seemed, that she hadn't had much contact with males that were interested in her. But there was no Avok to protect her now, she was left defenseless, ill prepared to come up with a suitable reply to Lotor's drunken musings.

"I would kill for a taste of your lips." Lotor confessed, his tongue licking his lips as he studied her mouth. Romelle made a noise, something like a nervous half giggle. But she didn't look amused, nor flattered, still trying to get her hands free. It was then that the slave began refilling Lotor's glass with the wine, seeming oblivious to the exchange she was interrupting.

Lotor took no notice of the slave, trying to pull Romelle onto his lap. She managed to keep her seat, just as Lotor made another one of his announcements. "I'm going to marry you."

"MARRY?" Romelle exclaimed, and then followed it up with a startled yelp. She had managed to jerk away from Lotor, but in the process jostled the slave girl. It was like watching a ship wreck, the events seeming to happen in slow motion. The slave girl dropped the pitcher of wine, a loud splash following as the drink got all over the front of Romelle's dress.

The pitcher shattered on the floor, but no one seemed to care. We were all frozen in shock, staring at the slave who was panicking. Tears were in her eyes, she didn't seem to know what to do, just standing there shaking.

She had a right to be scared, not even five seconds would go by before Lotor leapt to his feet, slapping the slave girl across her face. She shrieked in pain, and already I could see the red mark of his hand on her right cheek. Romelle also screamed when Lotor struck the slave girl, her jaw dropping open in shock.

"Apologize to the princess Romelle." Lotor snarled, and the whimpering slave girl tried to get out the words. She didn't say them fast enough for Lotor's liking, he was slapping her again.

"I...I'm sorry." The crying slave girl said, her chest was heaving, she was close to hysterics.

"Not good enough." Lotor growled, and moved to slap her again.

"Lotor!" Romelle cried out, having found her voice. "That's enough, she apologized!"

Lotor seemed to stare THOUGH Romelle, his face ugly with his anger. "She ruined your dress."

"It's just a stain." Romelle said quickly. "It will come out."

"It better." Lotor grabbed the slave by her hair, forcing her to her knees. He pointed at the large puddle of wine on the floor, growling. "Do you know how much that wine costs? It is worth ten of you! And you spilled it!"

"I didn't mean to..." whispered the slave.

"It doesn't matter what you meant!" Lotor shouted, and shoved her face first into the puddle. She sputtered and flailed, trying to push herself up off the floor. Lotor held her there, and I found that I had risen from my seat.

"Prince Lotor, that's enough!" He kept right on holding the slave down, but he turned angry eyes to me. "You are upsetting the princess." That was the only thing that MIGHT get through to him. He blinked his eyes several times in rapid motion, then looked at Romelle.

"Romelle?" She looked close to tears herself, her hands clasped before her as though in prayer. "Are you upset Romelle?" She nodded, and Lotor looked completely confused. "But why?"

"Please..." She begged him. "Just let her go."

"It's your dress." Lotor decided with a nod. "Your upset because SHE ruined your dress." He hauled the slave upright, then flung her away from him. "Take her to the dungeon master!" He commanded of the guards. "Fifty lashings should suffice for her mistake."

"No!" Gasped Romelle in protest, and Lotor nodded.

"The princess is right. Fifty is not enough. Make that one hundred lashings." Romelle's hands flew to her mouth, she was muffling any further protests, frightened of what Lotor would decide next.

"Yes, sire." Two soldiers had drawn near, they were taking hold of the shrieking slave girl, dragging her out of the room. I could see Romelle was shaking for this was her first real experience with Lotor's true nature. I had warned her in the gymnasium that Lotor could be vicious, even more than he had been in the fight. Now she was seeing just how much I was right, and it left her looking at Lotor like he was a monster.

"What?" Lotor growled, noticing that the rest of the seated Drules were staring at him and Romelle. They didn't care what he had done to the slave, they were just eager to witness a potential scene between him and the princess. "What are you all looking at?" Another growl, and then they were turning back to their plates, soft conversation resuming.

He then looked at the shaken Romelle, the princess frozen in place. His brow furrowed, as though Lotor was trying to figure out the reason for her continued upset. His gaze traveled lower, looking at the stain of red on the pale blue fabric of her dress. "Don't worry. When we go to Walnov I will buy you a dozen dresses to replace this one." I had the feeling Romelle wasn't about to go anywhere with him, let alone to one of the Drule cities.

"There's no need." Romelle said, but Lotor acted as though he didn't hear her. Instead he reached for a handful of napkins, and began patting down the front of her dress. Romelle tried to stop him, and it was no surprise to me that he was taking this opportunity to fondle her breasts in the process. "Stop...STOP!" She actually shoved him away from her, Lotor so drunk he was easier to move.

He almost toppled into the chair behind him, staring at her in stunned surprise. "I...I want to go back to my room." Romelle announced, still shaking.

"But what about dinner? Desert?"

"I am not hungry." Romelle was firm on this. "And I want to get out of this dress and take a shower. I stink of wine." So did Lotor for that matter, and he was grinning at the thought of Romelle undressing.

"Then I will take you to your room." Lotor said, reaching for her hand. She deftly evaded his touch, and looked to me.

"I want Commander Sabbath to take me."

I couldn't blame her for that, between Lotor's drunken ardor, and the violent treatment of the slave, she had a right to not want to be alone with him for any length of time. But it put me in an awful position, Lotor turning the evil eye on me.

"With Sabbath?" He demanded, growling. "Why not with me?"

"I am thinking you need to sleep off the effects of your drink before I go anywhere with you!" retorted Romelle. "Please commander, let us leave now?"

I was torn, trying to look at them both, as if that could help me decide what to do. Lotor was my friend, I did not want to end up on his shit list because of a woman. But neither did I want him to continue to do anything stupid, especially where Romelle was concerned.

"Fine." Lotor grumbled, slumping down into his chair. "Go with him if you want to so much." He reached for his glass, then cursed, finding much of it was empty, the wine having spilled on the floor. "Someone clean up this mess and get me more wine!" He bellowed, seeming to completely ignore Romelle now that he had dismissed her. She didn't seem to care, walking around to my side of the table, and taking my arm.

The murmurs of the gathered diners followed us as we walked out the room. They were predominately speaking in Drule, but they were being careful not to discuss the scene they had just witnessed. Not so long as Prince Lotor was in ear shot.

"I'm sorry for putting you in that position." Romelle apologized when we were a corridor away from the dining room. It wasn't exactly fine with me, and I fervently hoped Lotor would be too hung over to remember what exactly had happened between him and Romelle. Especially the part where she made her preference known about who would escort her to her room.

"I just couldn't stand the thought of being alone with him." Romelle continued in response to my silence. "He's...he's not what I thought he was."

"The prince has a temper. Especially when he drinks." I said, and she nodded.

"I see that now. I got a taste of it during your fight with him, but I'm afraid I didn't truly believe you when you said he was capable of being even more vicious." The sad thing was, I knew Lotor had barely begun to overact in regard to the slave's accident. He could have done a lot worse, might even have been holding back for Romelle's sake. Sad as it was, that slave had been lucky, she could have ended up dead.

"He won't really have that slave girl whipped for such a thing, will he?" Romelle asked. "For such a little mistake...?"

"I've seen him do worse for even smaller offenses." I admitted to her. "Being a slave on Doom is terrible thing. We Drules are not known for our kindness."

She pondered that, walking in silence besides me. "But not all of you are bad, are you? I mean...you've been nothing but kind to me. You took me to see my brother when Lotor would not. And you found the right words to stop Lotor from doing further with the slave."

"For all the good that did." I grumbled. "She's still going to be whipped."

"But at least you tried. No one else at that table did. I guess they were all too afraid..."

"Are you still planning to go to the city with Lotor tomorrow?" I asked, and she hesitated.

"I don't want to." Romelle admitted. "But I am afraid I don't know how to get out of it."

"If you do go, insist on bringing Bandor with you. Maybe even one of the men who came with you from Pollux. But whatever you do, princess...do not go with him alone." I was warning her off Lotor as best I could, confidant he wouldn't be able to try anything if she brought an entourage with her. Where Drule soldiers would turn a blind eye to Lotor's actions, I knew her brother would not.

"Thank you for that suggestion. I will." She sighed then. "But I do hope to get out of it somehow..." Another pause, and then she was glancing at me sideways. "What did Lotor mean when he said he was going to marry me?"

"It's not so unusual is it?" I asked. "Doom and Pollux are entering into an alliance. I would not be surprised if marriage was in your future, all to better forge relations between our two worlds."

Romelle actually blanched at that. Lotor had indeed done damage to their relationship, ruining all his efforts within a few minutes. "Have you heard anything?" She asked me, her beautiful blue eyes filled with upset. I had given her a new worry, and for that I was sorry.

"Nothing...officially." Which was the truth. What Lotor had told me in the showers had been off the record, there had come no official decree from the royal house of Doom.

"And unofficially?" She saved me from answering, shaking her head. "No, father wouldn't do this to me. He wouldn't marry me off without asking for my input."

I had my doubts about that. If her father could willingly hand over his heir to become a robeast, than what would stop King Cova from wanting to marry Romelle off to Lotor? But it was a moot point, Doom was planning to betray them all. There would be no alliance, only lies and deception. Sadly I was a part of this now, and I was not yet so loyal to Romelle that I would contemplate giving her a warning about Doom's plans.

I often wondered if I could have made a bigger difference in the fate of Romelle. If I could have averted the tragedies that would befall her by informing her of Doom's plans. Of course at this point, I had no idea that Pollux was planning a betrayal of their own. King Cova wanted more than Arus, he had his eye on the Doom Empire, wanting it under his control. That lust for power might have led him to continue feigning friendship with Doom, the events might have played out exactly the same.

Was destiny inescapable? I could not say for certain. But I felt very much caught up in the plight of this princess, helpless to stop it, left only to observe. My conscious was developing, guilt weighing heavy on my heart. I was betraying her and it was something I did not want to do! But I was loyal to Doom, and still loyal to the crown prince. I could only sit back and hope everything would work out for the best, and that best would be in Romelle's favor.

To Be Continued!

Michelle

Feli3, thanks for the support. :) I'm glad my disclaimer didn't chase you off.


	7. Chapter 7

I set out to keep myself busy the next day. All in order to distract myself from the restlessness that had filled me at the thought of Lotor's little excursion with Romelle. The very idea of the trip was leaving a bad feeling within me, new worries surfacing by the hour. Suddenly a guard and her brother didn't seem like enough protection. They could easily be disposed of, though I was sure Lotor wouldn't risk shattering the illusion of the alliance by doing anything too extreme.

He could however, arrange for a convenient excuse to come up. Something that would draw Prince Bandor away. I could already picture the smirk on Lotor's face as he insisted Romelle would be fine in his care, leaving Bandor with no way to debate that.

It made me angry, for I liked Romelle. Liked her enough to not want her to be put in the unfortunate position of catering to Lotor's desires. That anger translated into nervous energy, which I tried to work off in the gymnasium. Countless soldiers ended up defeated at my hands, and yet it did nothing to take the edge of my nerves. I was like an animal trapped in a cage, doing an endless amount of pacing.

Eventually I found myself in the castle's docks. Built underground, they stretched on for hundreds of miles, well past the edge of the castle's upper foundation. There were large metal doors carved into the ceiling of the docks, those would open up, revealing the dark, storm cloud strewn sky of Doom. It was through these doors that the ships inside the docks exited and entered, and it took careful coordination to keep accidents from happening.

There was few ships currently moving about, for the armada was on standby. Certainly none of the larger vessels moved, each one docked, and in the midst of being refueled. Liquid lazon was the Drule's choice of fuel, expensive though it was. There was a reason for that, the lazon a more potent energy source, being slower to burn but making the ships fly faster. Speed didn't always decide the battle, but when you were up against the lions of Arus, it certainly helped keep you alive.

The maintenance crew was out and about, it looked as if every man and woman had been called to the castle, all to hurry and get the armada in tip top condition. They seemed more rushed than usual, barking out orders to each other and the slaves they had brought with them. It wasn't just refueling that needed to be done, some of the ship's weaponry was being refurbished, and there was even a large battle vessel who currently had it's side open, revealing it's guts.

Those guts consisted of wires, hundreds of them dangling as a harried looking woman worked to fix whatever the problem was. I didn't envy her the task, I wouldn't have had the patience to work on such a ship. Even back in my days at the academy, ship maintenance had been my least favorite course. I had barely graduated, coming away with the bare minimum of knowledge that pertained to ship repair. At best, I could keep a smaller, short distance craft from falling apart long enough to get it to the true professionals.

I didn't go on board any of the ships, but knew that inside they would be just as busy. Slaves would be cleaning, and getting the cabins and barracks freshened up for the officers and their soldiers. A few Drule technicians would be working on the computers, making sure their programs were all in working order, and virus free. Food, medicines, and other types of supplies would already be loaded onto the storage decks, the armada needing to be ready to leave at a moment's notice.

As I wandered around from ship to ship, I spied the single vessel that had brought the Pollux entourage to Doom. It was more yacht than war ship, surely chosen for it's harmless appearance. Doom would have shot down a threat, but this ship of the Polluxians was anything but that. I was surprised they had even managed to make it to Doom in such a vessel, and wondered how they had avoided the pirates that did business on the outskirts of the Doom Empire's borders.

It left me wondering about what sot of defense capabilities the ship had. I was debating going on board the Pollux ship simply to satisfy my curiosity when the sound of footsteps drew my attention. It was the sound of many, hundreds, walking in tandem. I recognized that sound, realizing soldiers were being marched into the docks. I turned, more than a little surprise when I saw Mogor at the head of a small army.

He was leading them towards one of the largest of the vessels, a behemoth sized destroyer. A member of the maintenance crew hurried to get the ship's ramp down, Mogor pausing to the side of it. He put his hands on his hips, and watched as the soldiers began to march up the ramp. There would be no reason for the soldiers to enter the ship unless they were leaving on a mission. But as far as I knew, we had all been given down time until Avok's transformation into robeast was complete.

As soon as I thought that, I knew. Haggar's work was over with, the witch succeeding for better or for worse. This peaceful, idle time on Doom was at an end. Soon Avok would fight Voltron, and regardless of whether he won or lost, Pollux would be betrayed. I felt ill at the thought, thinking of the hurt look Romelle would wear. I didn't want to see that betrayed look in her eyes, didn't want to know what she would think of me for being part of Doom's deception.

It was no exaggeration that I suddenly felt time pressing down on me, rapidly counting down the seconds until Romelle's innocence was shattered, our friendship perhaps destroyed. I snorted then, thinking any trust she felt in me, would be lost. And rightfully so. I didn't often damn my own King, especially not for doing what our Empire had always done for centuries past. But right now I hated the Doom way.

That hate disturbed me as much as it surprised me. And thus I was uneasy as I approached Mogor, more and more soldiers piling into the docks. They didn't all go on the same ship, spreading out to board the other vessels. It was clear it wouldn't be long before the armada was granted clearance to leave. At the rate the soldiers were boarding, in three hours time the ships' would be packed.

"General Mogor..." I called out in greeting, the dark purple Drule turning in my direction.

"Ah Commander Sabbath. Didn't expect you to be here so soon." I knew what he meant. My commanding position got me out of a lot of grunt work. I wouldn't even have to board the ships until closer to our departure time. "I suppose you've heard the news?"

"No, but I think I can hazard a guess at to what is the source behind all this activity." I answered. I had to hold back my sigh, I would not betray my disappointments to the General. "It's that human prince, isn't it? Haggar's finished turning him into a robeast..."

"Yes." The slightest of nods. "The word to gather our soldiers came immediately on the heels of her success. I dare say not even five minutes went by before she alerted King Zarkon to this."

And Zarkon would be eager to have the next stage of his plan already in motion. I wondered if Mogor knew of it, then quickly dismissed that idea. The General was beneath me in the chain of command, if I did not know the exact details of the plans for Pollux, there'd be no way someone like Mogor would already know. Of course Mogor and the other Drules had to suspect something would be done to the people of Pollux. It was not Doom's way to make friends with other worlds.

"I suggest you get ready." Mogor continued. "We'll be leaving once the soldiers and crew have all finished boarding."

"That's still hours off." I told him. "But I will be sure to get my things onboard the flagship."

"I just hope the prince is back soon." Mogor muttered, a glower on his face.

"Why wouldn't he be?" I asked. Surely Lotor would cut the city tour short, and rush back to the castle to take charge of this mission.

Mogor's lips pursed together, giving him the look of tasting something sour. "We haven't been able to make contact with his highness." My eyes widened at that. "It seems he turned off his communicator and that of the guards that accompanied him." He growled then, but said no more, surely not wanting to make an inflammatory statement about the prince's foolishness.

"Just what is he thinking?" I snapped back, not expecting Mogor to have an answer. Lotor should have known enough to keep a channel open in case an emergency cropped up at the castle. This wasn't a life or death situation, but it was urgent. Zarkon was not known for his patience, and might very well have the armada leave without the prince.

Mogor was shrugging, but he kept quiet. I'm sure we both thought the problem was that Lotor WASN'T thinking. At least not with his brain. It seemed that at the moment, all he really cared about was getting Romelle into bed. Which made me wonder just what was going on in the city of Walnov. It was still too early in the day for even Lotor to be able to maneuver Romelle into a hotel room. Were they shopping or at the fair? Did I even have enough time to fly out there to personally collect them?

It was then that I thought that I wasn't the one thinking clearly. Especially if I was so far gone as to want to intrude on their date, even if I had a justifiable excuse for such an action. I just didn't want Lotor to manipulate Romelle into being alone with him, actually seeing green over the thought.

"Carry on." Troubled, I turned away from Mogor, my intent to navigate my way around the ships and enter back into the castle's proper. I wouldn't get far, a small cruiser was lowering itself down into the docks. It was predominantly a land bound vessel, it's hover jets good for only the slightest of flights. It wasn't even worth my notice, save for the fact the royal family's crest was painted on the side doors.

I didn't feel relief to see it, there was too many questions running through my mind. What was the cruiser doing back so soon? Was Lotor and Romelle inside it, or had they remained in the city? If so, had Lotor found some convenient excuse to keep Romelle there? What about Bandor, and the guard from Pollux? I needed answers, practically knocking over a member of the maintenance crew as I hurried towards the landing cruiser.

I could barely wait for it to turn off it's engines, I was already gripping the side doors. I forced it to lift up, and peered into the dimly lit interior of the cruiser. Shocked faces looked back at me, and then a familiar voice was speaking.

"Just what is the rush Commander?" Lotor wanted to know, no undercurrent of amusement in his voice. I relaxed though, giving him a respectful nod.

"I have good reason to hurry you." I said. "Prince Avok's transformation is complete. We are to leave for Pollux just as soon as the soldier's finish boarding."

"I see..." Lotor sighed, as though this was putting him out. At the same time, the welcome voice of Romelle spoke, drawing my gaze to seek out her seat inside the cruiser. She was seated to the left of Lotor, his arm resting lightly behind her shoulders. Romelle was stiff with tension, keeping her back straight so as not to brush up against that arm.

"Avok's already been turned?" She asked, eyes looking alarmed. "So soon?"

"This was fast work, even for Haggar." I answered, a sympathetic look in my eyes. She did not crumple though, maintaining her composure bravely.

"I want to see him." Romelle announced, which drew Bandor into the conversation.

"Oh can we? Can we really?" The boy wanted to know, his voice ripe with excitement.

I didn't think that was a good idea, for either of them. But especially for Romelle, who might break down into tears when she saw the monster her brother had become. "I don't think there will be time..." I began, trying for a small lie that would dissuade them from this course.

"Nonsense." Lotor said. "We'll make time."

"But..but sire..." I was trying to get him to look at me, my eyes urgent as I gave a shake of my head. I was hoping that would be enough to give him the message that this wasn't the wisest thing to be done for Romelle.

"But nothing commander." Lotor retorted. "If Romelle wants to see her brother, then she shall see him."

I deflated, and stepped back from the cruiser. "Of course."

"Oh boy, I can't wait to see Avok as a robeast!" Bandor was all enthusiastic, being the first one to exit the cruiser. He practically bounced with impatience as the guards, a mix that was mainly Drule, but there was two men from Polluxian included in the group, exited next. Lotor was next to leave, and he had not lost the annoyed expression on his face. He was mad about something, though I couldn't begin to imagine what. Or why they had chosen to come back at this moment, Lotor turning to help Romelle out of the cruiser.

She didn't look like she wanted to touch him, but her concern for her brother Avok allowed her to grasp Lotor's hand. He didn't let go of her once she was out of the cruiser, Lotor bringing her close to him in a way that screamed of possession. No one else was commenting about this, and Bandor seemed oblivious to his sister's discomfort. I had the feeling the young prince would have left us all behind if he had known the way to Haggar's lair.

"We were begginning to fear you wouldn't make it back in time." I said, trying to start a conversation. I was uneasy with the tension in the air, especially since I didn't know what was the cause of Lotor's annoyance. Something had had to have happened, but what? "General Mogor tells me your father is pushing for us to leave for Pollux at once..."

"Why didn't anyone try to contact us?" Princess Romelle wanted to know, and I hesitated. She clearly didn't know about the communicators being switched off, and the look Lotor gave me said he wanted to keep it that way.

"There was a disruption on the communication grid." I said at last. "We had no way of contacting you."

"Then it is fortunate we came back when we did." Romelle answered, and glanced at her younger brother. "You see Bandor, some good came out of cutting our trip short after all."

"I suppose so..." Bandor grumbled, eyes looking downcast. "But I wanted to see the fair grounds..."

"Your sister wasn't feeling well." Lotor's words were a gentle reprimand, but he looked as disgruntled as the young prince did. "We couldn't continue to keep her out and about the city, given her condition."

"Sick?" I glanced at Romelle. She seemed to be the perfect picture of health, skin a good color, eyes clear of a fever. True she looked worried, but there was nothing about her that hinted at her being unwell.

"I think something I ate disagreed with me." She said in reply to my questioning look. "I'm sure it's nothing more than a temporary virus." It suddenly dawned on me how temporary it might be, the suspicion that Romelle had faked her illness coming to me. Lotor might even suspect the same, though he wasn't attempting to call her on it. He continued to play attentive to her, though it was clear he wasn't happy about them being forced back from the city.

"I'm sorry to hear that." I was fighting a smile, inwardly proud she had thwarted Lotor's seduction before it had even had a chance to begin.

"Thank you for your concern." Romelle replied, as we exited out of the docks, and into the castle's corridors. Fortunately for us the South tower was located pretty close to the castle docks. It would not take us long to walk there.

"Did you enjoy what you did see of the city?" I asked her, but it was Bandor who answered.

"We hardly got to see anything!" He complained. "Just a few dress shops..."

I almost smirked then, amused that Romelle had managed to fit in shopping and a deception.

"There will be other times Bandor..." Romelle told him, which didn't lessen Bandor's sulk. "Doom and Pollux are allies now. I'm sure there will be plenty of visits between us in the future."

"Of course there will." Lotor spoke, the lie coming easy to him. "As soon as Avok defeats Voltron, we'll all come back to Doom. There will be a great celebration, all the cities dressing up in honor of our accomplishment."

"I can't wait to see that!" exclaimed Bandor. "To see the people honoring Avok!"

We were moving up the spiral staircase now, and I found myself keeping an eye on the young prince. I was ready to catch him should his excitement help him to fall, but fortunately for us all, we made it to the top without accident. As we began walking down the long corridor that led to Haggar's laboratory, a loud angry voice was heard. It was male, but unrecognizable to me, screaming out his rage.

"What was that?" Bandor said, his eyes growing huge.

"I believe that was your brother." The wordless scream was heard again, the male furious.

"If that's Avok...what are they doing to him?" demanded Romelle. "Why is he so upset?"

"It's natural for a robeast to be upset. I don't exactly know what Haggar does to them to keep them in this state of continued anger..." I shrugged then. "The anger works well for our purpose...a robeast knowing only violence, and the longing to destroy."

"Will we be safe?" Romelle wanted to know, and Lotor smiled at her.

"Do not worry Romelle. I will protect you." He patted his sheathed sword's pommel, looking confidant he could put down an out of control robeast.

"If you kill Avok now, all of this will have been a waste!" One of the Drule soldier said. Lotor shot him an annoyed look, the prince not wanting that reminder.

"No killing." Romelle gasped out. "That's still my brother...no matter what he has become..."

"I'll keep that in mind." Lotor replied, then gave the accompanying guards a command. "Wait for us out here."

"Yes, sire." They said, both Drule and Polluxians bowing. The rest of us entered into Haggar's lair, listening to the robeast's screams grow louder and more furious. Bandor looked around the workshop, forcing me to grab his wrist when he attempted to poke the eviscerated remains of a body.

"Don't!" I hissed in warning. "The witch will not take kindly to her experiments being disturbed."

"I wasn't going to do anything!" protested Bandor.

"Brother, listen to the commander." Ordered Romelle, keeping her eyes averted from the bodies.

"But.."

"You don't want to know what the witch will do to you." I told him. "She's been known to curse people for less offenses."

"Curse? I'm not afraid of a witch's curses!" Bandor scoffed at me.

"Bandor! If you cannot behave, you will have to wait outside with the guards." Romelle told him, and the boy sighed.

"Fine."

I still kept my eye on him, not trusting his curiosity would lead him to sneak a touch, or even steal something from Haggar. Except for that brief exchange, we were silent as we entered the rear most chamber. To my surprise, King Zarkon and King Cova were also present. The two men were staring at the creature behind the glass, watching as Drule soldiers struggled to subdue him.

"Is...is that..." Romelle's hand was flying to cover her mouth, she seemed at a loss to finish. I couldn't blame her. Avok no longer looked human. His once tanned skin had been turned a dark purple, darker even than Mogor's flesh. His eyes had turned completely yellow, no pupil remained, making him appear blind. But he wasn't, well aware of every move made against him, Avok attacking and batting around the soldiers like they were mere rag dolls.

Romelle shrieked when one hit the glass, a smear of blood following the body's downward slide. Lotor pulled her against his chest, his hand on the back of her hair to keep her from seeing anymore. But he wasn't looking down at Romelle, but staring critically at Avok.

"What's taking so long?" Lotor wanted to know. "Why isn't he in the coffin already?"

"Ah Prince Lotor." Haggar cackled. "As you can plainly see, Avok is difficult to manage. He has well surpassed even the most powerful of robeasts I had previously created. And all because he was a WILLING subject. He was able to take in far more energy than any previous test subject. I dare say he might even be able to take on Voltron and win!"

"He better old witch." Grumbled Zarkon.

"He will." Insisted Haggar. "With his strength, and the enchanted armor I've given him...Voltron will stand little chance against him."

"But first we have to get him to Pollux." reminded King Cova. "Is there not any easier way to get him inside the coffin?" Another soldier was thrown, his head being twisted so that his neck had snapped. I was glad Romelle's face was hidden against Lotor's chest, preventing her from seeing such a gruesome sight. But it couldn't block out the snapping sound that had following the twisting action.

"Cool!" exclaimed Bandor. "My brother is awesome!" No one paid any attention to Bandor's words, we were all intent on the soldiers' struggles with Avok.

"Hurry up and put him in chains!" Lotor snarled at the men inside the glass chamber with Avok.

"Lotor, son, if you're so impatient, why don't you go in there and show them how it is done?" Zarkon smirked then, Lotor growing silent in response. The prince was surely taking in the scene of carnage inside the chamber, and I knew nothing would get Lotor inside there until Avok was unconscious. Truth be known, I wouldn't have gone in there either, not even if they agreed to triple my pay. After all, what good was money to a dead man?

The soldiers continued, one trying to lasso a length of chain around one of Avok's flailing arms. It snagged, but Avok used that chain to pull the screaming soldier to him, giving him a brutal punch to the nose. Romelle flinched at each sound and scream, and I began to feel even more concern.

"Perhaps this is too much for the princess to see." I suggested. "She is ill, and surely this is not helping matters..."

"Ill? I certainly hope she's not too ill to travel." Grumbled Zarkon.

"I will manage. But I think the commander is right. I should be excused." Romelle winced as Avok began slamming a soldier repeatedly into the glass.

"Will that glass hold?" An alarmed King Cova asked.

"It will be fine, I assure you. I've had countless robeasts try to break it before..." Haggar told him.

"But if Avok is the strongest..."

"It will be fine!" snapped Haggar, Cova falling silent with a grumble.

"How are the other preparations coming along?" Zarkon asked his son. "Are the ships being boarded?"

"Even as we speak." Answered Lotor.

"Good." Zarkon nodded in satisfaction, then sighed. "Avok may delay things though. Perhaps our armada should go on ahead to Pollux...Lotor will remain behind to oversee Avok's transport personally."

Lotor didn't look thrilled at that idea. "Yes, father..."

"And Cova, there is no reason for you to delay your departure any longer. Avok will be in the capable hands of my son." Cova didn't look like he believed in Lotor being capable, especially where Avok was concerned. But he bowed his head in acknowledgment of Zarkon's words.

"Of course. We shall make ready for prince Lotor's arrival." He turned, calling out over his shoulder. "Come Bandor, Romelle..." Bandor made a disappointed sound, but moved to follow the King. Romelle tried the same, and found Lotor' tightening his hold on her.

"There is no rush for Romelle to return to Pollux, is there?" Lotor asked. "She is unwell, and could use a brief rest before traveling." He had turned solicitous. "It will be no trouble to allow her to travel as part of my entourage."

Avok roared behind us, King Cova hesitating. "Are you really that unwell my dear...?"

"I'm sure I am not that ill as to be unable to travel presently." Romelle began, but Lotor cut her off.

"Oh, but I insist. A brief rest before our journey will do you a world of good, and restore the color to your cheeks."

"Lotor...remember what I told you..." Zarkon's tone and words were threatening, leaving me to wonder just what he was referring to.

"I haven't forgotten father." Lotor assured him. "I am merely looking out for Princess Romelle's welfare."

"Is that all you're looking out for?" Haggar cackled wickedly. Lotor shot her a dark look, but she continued laughing.

"If you're sure it will be no problem..." Cova looked uncertain, glancing at his daughter. I couldn't know that though Cova was displeased at the thought of Romelle spending even more time with Lotor, he was also seeing the advantages to having his daughter be an active distraction to the prince. The wheels were turning in that mind of his, Cova wanting Lotor so besotted with Romelle that he wouldn't be able to think straight. Certainly not enough to be able to erect a defense against Pollux, when the planet turned against the Doom armada.

There was plots all around her, Romelle becoming a pawn to so many. For a princess that wasn't considered important, her value was mounting, and not just to Lotor

or to me.

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Feli3, yay! I'm glad! *feeds your addiction with another chapter.*


	8. Chapter 8

Our departure from Doom would indeed be delayed by hours, all in thanks to the uncontrollable robeast Avok had become. He made things increasingly difficult, his body slow to feel the effect of the tranquilizers we attempted to pump into him. Eventually we had had to flood the room with gas, knocking out both the prince and the soldiers who had been unfortunate enough to be in the chamber with him at that moment.

Avok's metabolism was such that the gas had to be constantly circulated, forcing the Drules to wear breath masks over their nose and mouths. They had worked quickly to dress him in the enchanted armor Haggar had gifted him with. Once ready, he was chained and placed inside one of the coffin like transports Doom used for the robeasts. That coffin would also be wrapped in chains, all enforced by spells from Haggar's hands.

The coffin was then loaded onto the flag ship, left to rest deep in the bowels of it. Soon enough the effects of the gas would wear off, Avok awakening just as angry now as he had been inside Haggar's laboratory. Perhaps even more so, if I judged his screams effectively. He was enraged, the sounds of his voice carrying to the upper levels, echoing over and over again.

Aovk didn't like being enclosed inside the small box, nor was he pleased to be chained down. The coffin actually shook, rattling on the floor from the force of his struggles. It made me uneasy witnessing that, even with the witch's reassurance that he would not be able to break free of her magically reinforced prison. I pitied the Drules that were stationed in the room with Avok, knowing they would be the first to die if he broke free.

The screams, along with the thoughts that we could be traveling with our death, made it difficult for anyone on board the flag ship to relax. I don't think any of us would be able to sleep until we got to planet Pollux. We were simply too conscious of the danger, of what would happen to us if Avok got free.

The whole atmosphere inside the ship was rife with tension. Even Prince Lotor was unable to relax, and he was surrounded by members of his harem. I had been surprised to see the slaves brought on board the ship, Lotor having selected a few of his favorites to accompany us to Pollux. He had been careful to hide their presence from Romelle, I dare say she didn't even known he HAD a harem, let alone that a few were riding on the same ship as her.

There was five harem slaves in all, each one blonde and beautiful, hair varying from a yellow so light it was almost white, to a dark strawberry gold. They were sticking close to their master, one standing directly behind him. She had bent over, her breasts cushioning his head, a pillow for the prince as she massaged his shoulders. I had a feeling he had needed plenty of massages, Lotor perhaps the most nervous of all about the uncontrollable Avok.

Another slave stood close at hand, a crystal decanter of Lotor's favorite wine held in her hands. She was being careful not to spill so much a drop, though right now Lotor had little interest in her or the wine. Nor did he care about the little slave kneeling before him, his one foot in her lap, as she worked to polish his boot so that the vinyl gleamed.

Instead he was looking at Haggar, his expression expectant when I walked into the room. It was part of his cabin, Lotor enjoying privacy that few others on board this ship could claim. He didn't look up at me when I entered, though he did acknowledge me with his voice.

"Ah Sabbath. You are just in time. Haggar was about to show me something very interesting, weren't you witch?"

"Oh yes, sire." She cackled in agreement, her crystal ball held in her hands. She raised it higher, calling our attention to the crystal, which had filled with dark smoke. Haggar practically purred then, issuing out a command. "Now kitty, show Haggar what you're seeing..."

The smoke would clear, an image coming into focus. It showed the inside of a stately room, the walls colored the same forest green of the outside of the ship the Polluxian entourage had used to travel with to Doom. There was a statue in one corner, I realized it resembled King Cova, confirming my suspicions that this was Polluxian territory we were viewing.

The room was mainly dominated by a large table, big enough to sit twelve people. It was so wide across, it took up almost all the space in the room, and rested on a rust colored carpet that was edged in gold. Eleven men sat at that table, five on each side, with King Cova at the head. Only one chair remained empty, and I wondered if that had been Prince Avok's seat.

The view was such that we were looking down on them, Haggar's familiar, the blue cat Coba situated near the ceiling. The light was intense where Coba was hiding, the cat having climbed up on a chandelier. It was the perfect vantage point for the cat, no one suspecting he was near. As such King Cova and his council spoke freely, their words quite damning for what they revealed.

"King Zarkon and Prince Lotor are fools to think we'd join forces with them!" King Cova was saying with an arrogant sneer on his face. "As if we would ever agree to divide up Arus with them, with anyone!"

The gathered men were nodding in agreement. "We've worked too hard, and waited too long for the chance to finally get Arus in our grasp!" A man with a pencil thin gray mustache was saying. "Your plan is a brilliant one majesty."

"Of course is is, Dreck." Cova retorted. "I thought of it, did I not?" Immediately Dreck and the other men present were nodding in rapid agreement, quick to soothe their King's ego.

"We'll not only conquer the planet Arus, we will be able to get rid of Zarkon as well!" exclaimed Dreck.

"Yes." Cova's smile was a satisfied one, his eyes unable to hide his glee at the thoughts he voiced. "I will rule Pollux and Arus..." He raised a fist then. "And the entire universe!" He punctuated that exclamation by bringing his fist down hard on the table, the thump echoing loudly in the room. I was surprised by his ambition, not expecting the human to see beyond his lust for Arus. Certainly I hadn't expected the King, for any of the people of Pollux to have ambition enough to try and take over the rest of the galaxy.

"Greedy isn't he...?" Lotor murmured, eyes still intent on the scene in Haggar's crystal. I nodded once, still amazed by Cova's greed and audacity. "He thinks he's playing us all as fools, letting my father believe he had no desire for anything but Arus."

" He acted as if he hadn't even considered the rest of the galaxy until well after King Zarkon made mention of using Avok for further conquest." Added Haggar. The witch hadn't been present for many of Zarkon and Cova's meetings, but I had no doubt she knew what had gone down. It was a simple matter for her to use her crystal to keep abreast of all things going on inside the castle.

"He puts on a good act." Grumbled Lotor. "But then so do we." He smirked then. "These fools actually believe we are sincere in allying with them!"

"He'll find out soon enough that the Doom Empire does not make friends, nor do we share worlds and powers with anyone!" Haggar laughed, her wicked screech hurting my ears. The slave girls winced, but otherwise did not react. Lotor smiled, and leaned into the breasts of the girl massaging him, gesturing for a glass of wine to be poured. The chalice was quickly prepared, and given to him, Lotor drinking deeply of it.

"We have to destroy Voltron." A black haired Polluxian was saying, the other making agreeing noises.

"That will be easy." Cova answered. "Thanks to Zarkon's witch Haggar, Avok is now the most powerful robeast in the galaxy."

"Then with Voltron gone, there will be no one to stand in our way!" added a balding human. "Not even the Galaxy Alliance will be able to stop us!" I couldn't blame them for their low opinion of the Galaxy Alliance, after all they had been trying for years to put a stop to Doom's hostilities. Trying and failing.

"We must keep the plan from Zarkon and Lotor." Cova said, to resounding agreement from his advisors.

"Cova thinks he's so clever." Lotor let out a low chuckle of laughter. "Once Avok destroys Voltron, we will have him destroy Pollux!"

"Is that the plan?" I asked. "To turn Avok against the planet?"

"Yes. We won't even have to lift a finger to assist him." Lotor finished off his wine, deeply satisfied. "You've seen him. The rage that fills Avok now. He's mindless with it, he cares for nothing save to fight and wreck havoc."

"I've truly outdone myself this time." Haggar grinned, all her teeth flashing in that smile of hers. "Avok is the perfect robeast. I cannot wait to see him in action, to see him caught in the joy of destruction."

"What I can't wait for is to see Voltron ripped apart by that monster's hands." Lotor grinned, surely imagining the scene playing out in his mind. "But Haggar, something concerns me..."

"Yes, my prince? What is it?"

"Are you sure you'll be able to control him enough to keep him from harming blue lion?" Lotor wanted to know. Haggar actually hesitated.

"I think I can."

"Don't think, be certain!" Lotor snapped at her, his grip tightening on the stem of the empty chalice. "I want nothing unfortunate happening to Allura."

"It would be better if you forgot about the princess of Arus completely." Haggar said, then responded to his scowl. "You will have Romelle! That should be more than enough for you!"

"I will have both Allura and Romelle!" Lotor insisted angrily. "And Haggar? If something goes wrong, and Allura is hurt in anyway, it will be your bones I feed to Avok!"

Haggar seemed to shiver then, clutching her crystal ball closer to her chest. "I understand." Her voice seemed to shake with worry. "Perhaps I better go check on Avok...weave some more spells around him."

"You go do that." Lotor advised her, looking almost amused at the way she scurried out of the room.

"Your father will never let you get rid of Haggar." I told him, once the witch was out of the room. "Not if Avok gives Doom victory over Arus."

"Maybe, maybe not." Lotor countered. "But I will be damned if I let her monster kill Allura!"

He was still obsessed with her, his recent flirtations with princess Romelle doing nothing to lessen his interest in Allura. I shouldn't have been surprised, even after his foolish behavior at dinner the other night. He might be coming to like Romelle, but desire still held him in Allura's grip. I wondered if anything could set him free of Allura. I hoped that enough time and rejection went by, that maybe, just maybe he would give up on her.

But I didn't want him turning to Romelle to comfort his broken heart. That wasn't just jealousy rising up in me, it was actually worry, for I knew Romelle no longer liked Lotor. Not since the incident with the slave girl. Lotor was blind if he couldn't see the looks Romelle tried to hide from him, the dislike she harbored deep in her heart. She was going out of her way to avoid him, spending much of the time on board this ship with a feigned illness that kept her bedridden.

It wasn't yet to the point that Lotor was annoyed with her for that, the prince having too many concerns. Chief among them was Pollux's impending betrayal, and the attempts to try and keep Avok under control. They left Lotor distracted. I'm sure he was looking forward to it all being over with, for then he could take his time to enjoy Romelle in a leisurely manner.

Not that Romelle would be amiable to his lusts, especially once he betrayed her father and her people. But Lotor was living in a dream world, delusional in thinking everything would work out the way it should.

"Our men are going to be stationed at Cova's castle." Lotor said, jarring me out of my private musings. "Once Voltron falls, we will then turn against them. It should be child's play to take down Cova's guard." He smirked. "They won't know what hit them. We will kill all the men, and enslave those that remain in the castle. Avok will take care of the rest of the planet."

"I see." Gruesome business this was, but it wasn't that unusual. I had born witness to similar killings, even fought in battles where no enemy was left alive. I had even fought for my own life when the odds were against us, the enemies overwhelming the Drules to the point it seemed Doom might lose. Kill or be killed was the motto of these wars, and it would be the same for Pollux.

"I have a personal mission for you." Continued Lotor. I lifted a brow, curious. "I want you to be Romelle's personal guard." He sighed then, almost looking regretful. "It will get dangerous when the fighting breaks out. I do not want anything happening to her. Which is why I am entrusting her safety to you, my friend."

"I understand." I even bowed then, honored by his request. "I give you my word, no harm will come to the princess so long as I watch out for her."

He didn't bother to threaten me the way he had Haggar. I took that as a sign of how much Lotor trusted me. He knew my word was good once given. If I said Romelle would not be harmed, then I meant it.

"Things will be busy on Pollux.." Lotor grumbled, holding out the chalice for more wine. "I'll probably not be able to spend much time with Romelle. Certainly not as much as I would like."

"How unfortunate." I said blandly. All the while knowing how relieved Romelle would be at the news. She'd be able to relax for a time, and not have to think up excuses to avoid Lotor.

"But once everything is over with..." Lotor smiled then, a lustful look in his eyes. I had a feeling he wouldn't wait for the marriage to make things official, Lotor would be on her at once, regardless of her feelings on the matter. It made ME shudder just thinking about it.

"Just...just have a care my prince." He looked at me with eyes narrowing, but I continued, heedless of the danger. "She is but human, young and inexperienced in the ways of love. Romelle is delicate...you must treat her as such, lest you break her."

"Anything broken can be fixed." Lotor retorted, downing his drink. "And she is not so delicate as to not understand what her wifely duty to her husband must be."

It was with a sinking heart I heard these words, my shoulders wanting to sag. "Please your highness, she deserves better, don't you think?"

"What I think is you're concerning yourself too much with what I will do to my wife." Lotor growled then. "Where does this concern come from Commander?" A suspicious look then. "You don't have feelings for her, do you?"

"Of course not!" I denied, my voice sounding outraged at the thought. "I would never presume to try and step over such boundaries...I am merely trying to look out for YOU. You want her love, do you not? You want more than just a body to warm your bed. You want her devoted and affectionate with you..."

"What would you know of love and devotion?" Lotor interrupted with a rude snort. "You've never been married. I dare say you've never even been in love Sabbath."

"That doesn't make me any less qualified to warn you!" I protested, and Lotor laughed, a mean snicker of sound.

"There's nothing to worry about. I will have Romelle, and she, like Allura, will LEARN to love me." He nodded at those words. "They'll have no choice...no choice at all..."

Again I thought he was setting himself up for disappointments. Love didn't work that way. You couldn't force yourself on someone in the hopes they would give in or suffocate in the process. And knowing what I knew of Romelle, I had the feeling she would choose the latter, rather than give in to Lotor. But she'd fight first, and that would be damaging. She might hurt Lotor in the process, but she'd definitely be hurt in return. Lotor didn't take kindly to those who disappointed him, even if they were as pretty as Romelle was.

It had all the markings of a disaster in the making. Everyone could see it save Lotor. Ignorance was truly bliss in this case, though Lotor would soon have a rude awakening where Romelle was concerned.

To Be Continued...

Sorry short chapter...X_X

Michelle

Wade Wells, thanks! I'm so glad! :D

Feli3, thank you so much. I'm so happy to hear that. Means I'm doing a good job! :D


	9. Chapter 9

I would get my first look at Pollux from the observation deck of the flag ship. It was there that I would also encounter Romelle, the princess having decided she had had enough of hiding from Lotor. But before she would appear, I would be alone, left to my restless thoughts. The revelations in Lotor's cabin about King Cova's plans for betrayal hadn't made me feel better about what Doom was going to do to Pollux. Perhaps nothing could.

Nor I could I muster up that much surprise. Pollux did have a reputation for being evil. King Cova was merely living up to the expectations of it. But I thought it low of him to be using his own children as pawns. Especially Romelle, the girl seeming innocent of all that was going on around her. Avok, I wasn't so sure about. It had been his idea to become a robeast, perhaps he had known enough about his father's plans to understand he would be used for more than just Arus.

I still wondered how well thought out Cova's plans were. Did he view Avok as expandable? He did have another son after all, Bandor could easily move into place as heir to Pollux's throne. Maybe Avok was never meant to return to his human form. During Cova's spied on conversation with his advisors, no one had made mention of sparing Haggar's life. Which was stupid, considering they would need the witch to change Avok back.

But then, Haggar was too dangerous to keep alive. Especially if Cova succeeded in killing off King Zarkon. The witch may be wicked, but she was loyal to a fault where Zarkon was concerned. Her vengeance would be a terrible thing to behold, Haggar not stopping until all who had a hand in Zarkon's murder be dealt with. Lotor himself had to be careful of her as well. Neither one of us thought Haggar would spare him, regardless of his blood ties to Zarkon. Not if Lotor ever actually killed off his father.

But the death of Zarkon was far from possible at this point and time. The King wasn't even traveling with us, having chosen to remain behind on planet Doom. Zarkon was loathe to risk himself, content to watch the events unravel from afar. He was well out of danger, but we were not, as evidenced by Avok's continued screams. I will admit, the sounds of that robeast, it had us all spooked. We'd not arrive on Pollux a minute too soon as far I was concerned.

We were still about an hour away from landing on the planet, when Romelle would appear. I didn't look up at the sound of footsteps for it was a public place, open to everyone onboard the ship. It was also a popular spot, many gathering here on break, to stare out the windows into the vastness of space. Currently the view outside the thick, triple paned glass was of a planet. Pollux was a mix of greens and browns, with grayish white smears I assumed had to be clouds.

The planet was roughly the same size as Arus, but that was where the resemblance ended. Arus from space, was a planet of tranquil blues, with fertile greens, and pollution free clouds. But Pollux still looked prettier than Doom's own mud brown and black colors, leaving me curious as to what the land would look like up close.

"It looks so pretty, doesn't it." I wasn't as surprised as I should have been. I had caught the faint whiff of Romelle's flower based perfume, which prevented her from sneaking up on me completely.

"Yes, it does." I managed to answer, rising off the bench to greet her. A Drule soldier was with her, her escort for the day saluting me in greeting. I nodded at him, and then bowed deeply to the princess. "It's good to see you out and about."

"Thank you." She turned to the soldier, and dismissed him. "You can return to your post now. Commander Sabbath will take over the tour." The soldier looked to me for confirmation.

"Yes, that will be fine." I told them, and the soldier bowed to the princess before leaving us to our privacy. "But wouldn't Prince Lotor be better suited to show you around?"

Her smile dimmed at the mention of the prince's name, Romelle giving a quick shake no of her head. "I wouldn't want to bother him at this important time."

"Trust me, it would not bother him." But I was pleased she didn't want to see him, even if that may have been selfish on my part. I knew I should have been encouraging her to spend as much time as possible with Lotor, if only to help her get over her dislike of him. If she could somehow reconcile herself to the man Lotor had revealed himself to be, things might go easier between them.

"You're looking well." I added, lest the silence stretch on to the point of awkwardness. "How are you feeling?"

"Better..." Romelle hesitated. "Restless...I couldn't take being cooped up inside my cabin any longer."

"Completely understandable." I gestured for her to sit, and joined her on the bench. "So tell me princess...is the planet anywhere as pretty on the surface as it is when viewed from space."

"Not particularly, no." Romelle sighed. "It's a very dismal, miserable place. All dark and gloomy, even on the brightest of days." She lifted an arm, pointing at the planet. "The sun is closer to Arus than to Pollux. It has to struggle for it's rays to reach past the clouds. Our skies always look on the verge of a rainstorm..."

"It sounds similar to Doom. Although we don' even gain the benefits of having the sun light up our skies." I told her.

"It's hard to believe such worlds were meant to support life." Romelle frowned. "My people believe that our ancestors, the ones banished to Pollux by Arus, were meant to die on this world. Certainly Arus didn't expect them to survive, to scratch out a life for themselves..."

"But they did." I noted. "You are proof of that. You and each person of Pollux, living to defy the odds of what might have been meant as a death sentence to your ancestors."

Romelle nodded, but her look remained serious. "Do you believe a planet can be evil?" I wondered what kind of expression I wore at that, for she hurried to explain. "It's just...for so many years, I've heard nothing but how Pollux is the evil twin of Arus. The reputation my planet has, it has affected my people's lives. In more ways than one. People are quick to believe the worst of us. It's left Pollux isolated, our few attempts at making alliances failing before they even had a chance to get anywhere."

"A reputation like that is hard to get rid of." I told her. "Doom has a similar reputation...one I can't lie and say is not true. Our King has had us do evil things, all in the name of power, in adding to the size of our empire. Our ancestors may have started with the best intentions, but somewhere along the way, our purpose got twisted. We no longer attack other worlds as a matter of survival...it's just greed and laziness."

She shivered then, looking so cold I wanted to put an arm around her. I controlled that impulse though. "I don't believe a planet can be evil. I don't even believe an entire people can be that way. There is good in everyone, just as there is evil. It just matters which side you choose to listen to."

"I don't believe most of the people of Pollux are evil then." Romelle replied with a firm nod of her head. "Our ancestors may have started out as criminals, but that was bred out of most of us. If given the chance, my people would have enjoyed making friends with other worlds..." She sighed then. "I don't believe invading Arus will help Pollux's reputation. Nor will allying ourselves with Doom..."

I thought of her father then, of his desire to rule not just Arus, but the entire universe. He lusted for power, as did his council of advisors. It was no surprise to me that Cova had surrounded himself with like minded men. They might not even be the majority when it came to the wishes of the people of Pollux. But Pollux was not a democracy, the people didn't get to vote in their leaders. For better or for worse, they had to follow their king, and the choices he made. Even if it led them down the path to ruin.

"What would you do, if you were the one in charge of Pollux?" Her eyelids fluttered rapidly, not hiding her surprise. "Yes, I I know that Pollux is a society ruled by men. But just imagine if it was different, and women had the power."

She looked away for a moment, staring down at her lap. Her hands were resting on her skirt, and then she was clenching them into fists. "If I was in a position to make changes, I would. I have heard stories of Arus, about it's ruler, the princess Allura. She is said to be fair, to be kind. Generous even. I would try to arrange an alliance with her, to make a friendship that would be beneficial to both our worlds."

She opened her hands then, glancing back at me. "I don't believe it is right for us to try and enslave the people of Arus. Nor should we try to take their world by force. Yes, Arus is our place of origin...but Pollux has been our home for centuries. It may not always be the most comfortable of homes, but it's ours." She gave a shake of her head, blond hair rustling. "Many of my people talk about returning to Arus. We've believed for so long that it is our right...but how can it be right, to invade another's home?" A sigh then, Romelle looking disgruntled. "If I was Queen, I would make Arus our friend, and through our friendship, we would gain other worlds' support...we could improve our lives without having to fight, without bringing war to another's doorstep."

"It must sound silly to you." She said after another long pause.

"Not at all." I hastily protested. She looked surprised at that, Romelle blinking rapidly again.

"It doesn't? But you are from a world that has only known war, an Empire that continues to invade and enslave other worlds."

"It doesn't mean I can't understand and even long for a change." I told her. "Peace is an admirable desire. One should never laugh at another's longing for it."

"Do you mean that?" Romelle asked, seeming relieved when I nodded a yes. Does this mean you don't agree with your King's decisions...?"

"Not always." I admitted, the Pollux debacle as heavy on my mind now, as it was before she had arrived. "He's done things, gave orders...things I wish Doom hadn't done...but I like you, lack the power to change much."

"You have the prince's ear though." Romelle pointed out. "He listens to you."

"Only to a point." I told her. "And once Lotor gets an idea in his head, he is hard to dissuade." I sighed then. "As much as the prince would hate me for saying this, he and his father are very much alike. Both have the same lust for power, the same drive for war and worlds..."

"Lotor...he tries to hide his true nature, doesn't he?" Romelle suddenly asked. I hesitated, not sure how to answer, for the truth would be a betrayal of my prince. Romelle had a haunted look in her eyes, and I didn't have long to wonder what she was thinking about. "At least with me. But I've seen it, enough to know I don't like it. That poor slave girl...how is she by the way?"

I didn't know, and I felt ashamed in the moment for not bothering to check in on the slave. "Can you find out for me?" Romelle implored, her hand touching mine. "Please?"

"Of course." I couldn't deny her, even as I knew it would earn me strange looks as I tried to track down the fate of that slave girl.

"Thank you." She smiled at me, warmth in her eyes.

"There's no need to thank me." My voice was gruff then, I felt embarrassed by her gratitude. "I haven't done anything to earn it."

"You've been a friend to me. That's more than enough." Romelle replied, her voice firm on this. She turned back to the window, staring at her planet. Our ship was in it's orbit, ready to begin the descent down to the surface. "It won't be long now..." She mused.

"No, it won't." I agreed. "Will you be okay with what's going to happen?"

"No, I won't." Romelle replied. "But I will handle it with the decorum and composure that is proper for a princess." I had no doubt of that. She was the most regal princess I had ever had the privilege to meet, and I was full of respect and admiration for her.

"Princess, I have no doubt you will do just that." I risked a smile at her then.

"Thank you for that confidence in me." She squeezed my hand then, and even once she pulled away, I still felt her warmth. Romelle then rose up from the bench, and walked over to the railing that separated the deck from the windows. She stood leaning against the rail, staring out at her planet. I did not disturb her with questions, just taking the moment to drink in her beauty.

Fortunately for me, she did not turn at any point, saving us both from the embarrassment of my stare. But she did start speaking to me, Arus chief in her thoughts. "You've been to Arus...please...tell me your impression of it."

"I'm sure you've heard it's beautiful...and not just from me." I said. "It's one of the most beautiful planets I have ever had the privilege to travel to. It's a world almost untouched by man. The Arusians seem to believe in upholding the sanctity of nature, keeping their cities and population small. That leaves a lot of fertile land, just ripe with life."

"That will change if my father and Doom have their way." Romelle sounded sad now.

"Yes it will..." I agreed. "Doom will do everything it can to mine the resources from the land. Arus will become one of the worlds used to feed the Drules, and not just their hungers. There's a wealth of riches, and slaves to be had...Doom won't leave a single stone uncovered in it's attempt to get at all Arus has to offer."

"But they will have to leave something." Romelle turned then to look at me, leaning her back against the rail. "After all, Pollux will be claiming half of Arus for itself."

I had almost forgotten the lies Doom was telling Pollux, having spoken freely about Doom's plans for all of Arus. "Ah yes. Forgive me for that over sight. Of course, allowances will be made...Your father intends to move the people of Pollux to Arus, yes?"

"Of course. It is the point of everything, this alliance, and Avok's transformation..."

"So it is..." I couldn't help sighing then.

"Is everything all right Sabbath?" Romelle wanted to know. I just shrugged, knowing I had no lie I wanted to give her. Nor could I tell her what was really on my mind. "Don't look so down...everything will be over soon..."

It was exactly what I was fearing! I wished I could stop time, freeze this moment with her here on the observation deck. Keep this moment preserved, where Romelle was still safe from Lotor's lusts, and Pollux had yet to be betrayed.

"Yes, it will be." I saw the look on Romelle's face change, the color seeming to leech out of her skin. It was Lotor who had responded to her words, the prince walking towards her, to capture hold of her hand. I could see Romelle fighting not to stiffen as he raised her hand to his lips. She looked very much like she wanted to wipe her hand on her dress, so disgusted was she by Lotor's attention.

"Prince Lotor." I had risen from the bench so I could give a proper bow. "What brings you here?"

"I received word that the princess had left her chambers." Lotor didn't even bother to look at me, he was too focused on Romelle. "I take it this means your illness is at an end?"

"Er...y...yes..." She stammered uncertainly. I had a feeling she only admitted to being well because we were so close to landing. Surely Romelle assumed Lotor would not have time to bother her so close to our arrival. It was naive of her, Lotor would find a way if he was that determined. "I was just speaking to the commander about Arus..."

"If you have any questions about Arus, you should have come to me." Chided Lotor, still holding onto her hand. "I know as much if not more than commander Sabbath." That might even be true, Lotor having spent an insane amount of time studying the planet and all things related to it. All to better formulate plans and battle tactics to use against the people that lived on Arus.

"I didn't want to bother you."

"It would have been no bother." Lotor assured her. "I am always free where you are concerned."

"Really, you needn't be..."

"Nonsense my dear. It is a pleasure to be in your company." Lotor insisted. "I get so lonely when you are not around."

"Surely that is not the case!" Romelle protested, a nervous laugh escaping her.

"Ah but it is." He pulled on her hand, pressing it over his heart. "You've already charmed your way into my heart..." She didn't look happy to hear that, nor what he said next. "I've been giving a great deal of thought to you..."

"To me?" Romelle was wary, and so was I, sniffing the air to see if Lotor was drunk again.

"And to us." He continued with a smile. "I really think we have a future together."

"Well, of course." Romelle said, Lotor's smile growing bigger. "Doom and Pollux are allies now. Our fates are entwined."

"I was thinking on a more personal level." Lotor told her with a purr. I had a bad feeling about what he was going to say next, but didn't have the time to do more than cough as Lotor blurted out the following. "I think we should think about getting married."

Was it possible for humans to turn as white as a sheet? Romelle certainly gave it her best shot, growing even paler at Lotor's words. Lotor paid no mind to Romelle's shock, almost merciless as he continued. "It's the next logical course for our two kingdoms. It will bind us two together even more."

I knew the only binding Lotor wanted was that of Romelle to him. He gave not a care to Pollux, nor to strengthening the alliance. He just wanted to trap the princess into marriage with him. How underhanded of him to try and gain her hand before the betrayal! My own eyes were narrowing, I was unable to hide my annoyance at this.

"My prince, the princess is just coming off being ill. Surely now is not the time to ask her to make such a big decision."

"If not now, then when?" Lotor growled at me, incensed that I had offered interference to his attempts at proposal.

"The commander is right." Romelle said faintly. "I'm still recovering..." Lotor turned back to her, eyes critical as he looked Romelle over. "Besides...this is not proper. Any such marriage proposal should go through my father first..."

"I'm sure King Cova can made to see the advantages of such a union." I added strictly for Lotor's benefit.

"Is that how it is done on Pollux?" Lotor asked, and Romelle quickly nodded. He paused to think it over, then kissed her hand once more. "You will of course, consider the idea won't you?" He wasn't promising to get her father's permission, knowing it would be a moot point once Cova was dead, and Pollux in ruins. That he was even giving Romelle the courtesy of a proposal was stunning, he normally would have just ordered her to marry him.

Once again I was struck by the thought that Lotor must have really liked princess Romelle to act this way. Odd though it was, he was trying to be considerate of her feelings. He wanted her to love him, to want him in return. He was misguided enough to assume that marriage would seal her feelings for him, trap her into having to like him, to return the affection he felt for her.

He really didn't understand much about women or feelings in general. But that was to be expected, considering his motherless upbringing. Zarkon for a father hadn't helped matters either, leaving Lotor knowing only how to take what he wanted, and how to force feigned emotions. That Romelle wouldn't fall into line, no matter how much he tried to woo her, would leave Lotor enraged. When his gifts and flattery failed, that it when the true nightmare would begin.

To Be Continued...

Michelle


	10. Chapter 10

It was late morning when our ship finally made it to the surface of planet Pollux. We would then be guided into the large inner courtyard of the royal family's castle, the sides of the flag ship scraping against the stone walls. The flag ship was the only one invited onto the castle's property. We had more than enough Drule soldiers onboard it to subdue the humans in the castle, so it wasn't a worry to send off the other Drule ships.

The rest of the Drule armada was sent off to be stationed over the many cities and towns of planet Pollux. We weren't even trying to hide the Drule presence on this land. And all because the message King Cova had agreed to send to Arus, had made careful mention of the fact that he had allied with Doom. The message called for Arus' surrender, as if the alliance would be enough to frighten princess Allura and her advisor into surrender. We knew it wouldn't, and we were counting on the Voltron Force to attempt to sneak onto the planet.

But first they would have to arrive. It would be a waiting game now, everyone tense and playing each other for fools. King Cova kept up the act of honoring the alliance, going so far as to greet Prince Lotor on his knees. Cova wasn't the only one groveling, the young prince Bandor was besides him, as was his ten advisors. Lotor was pleased by this show of submission, as was Haggar. I however, couldn't help but wonder what the King's soldiers thought of this. It had to be pretty demoralizing to see their ruler on his knees, even if he was planning to betray Doom.

The number of Polluxian soldiers present was suspicious in and of itself. The orange and gold colored uniforms were everywhere, the soldiers moving to surround the flag ship. The sight of them didn't give Lotor pause, the prince walking down the ship's ramp with a confidant swagger. Haggar was close behind him, and Romelle and I followed two steps behind her. Over thirty soldiers followed us, the men seeming at ease though that was a deception. At the slightest threat, they would take up arms, and kill every human present save for Romelle.

It would fall up to me to guard Romelle once things turned sour. I was the only one the prince trusted to keep her safe. It was a double edge sword, for I was sure she'd hate me when the fighting was over and done with. After all, she'd be imprisoned, and would surely endure countless mistreatments at Lotors' hands. More and more, I was coming to hate this, to question my orders. If I could have, I would have found a way to both obey Lotor, and keep Romelle free of him.

Instead I was in an awful place, my loyalties torn between the two. It put me on edge, though anyone viewing me would have assumed it was the fact that we were in a new place, surrounded by hundreds of foreign soldiers that was the cause of my nervousness.

"King Cova." Lotor came to a stop a scant few inches from the kneeling humans. Cova waited until then to raise his head, his expression showing feigned relief at the sight of the Drules. "It took us a few hours more than expected, but we've finally arrived."

"So you have. Avok is well?" Cova asked.

"He's as well as can be expected." Lotor answered with a grimace. "He screamed and fought the entire journey. At times the chains barely held him."

"I dare say when he is freed, he will be an unstoppable force. He will seek out a target to vent his rage upon...that target being Voltron of course." Haggar cackled gleefully.

"Have you gotten a response back from Arus yet?" Lotor wanted to know.

"There's been nothing but silence as far as Arus is concerned." Cova told him. "I don't like this...shouldn't they have at least sent a refusal?"

"They're plotting something, I'm sure of it." Dreck, one of the King's advisors said.

"It's what we're counting on you, fool!" Snapped Haggar. "Arus would never give in to such a demand. Nor would they be content to wait and let the fight come to their world. No...the Voltron Force will be coming here...I'm sure of it."

"We're lucky Avok didn't delay us to the point that the Voltron Force got here first." Lotor muttered.

"Fear not Prince Lotor. We still have plenty of time." Haggar said reassuringly. "Even now, General Mogor is prepping Avok's coffin for removal...I dare say we even have time to relax now..."

Lotor liked the sound of that, turning to look at Romelle. She quickly averted her gaze, but that wouldn't save her from Lotor's attention for very long. "Romelle...will you show me around your home?"

"I..." There was no easy way for her to get out of this request, Romelle hesitating for longer than was polite. Lotor looked at her with an eager expression. It wasn't the castle he cared about, he just wanted to steal some time alone with the princess.

"Prince Lotor, I am still uncertain about some of this plan." King Cova surprisingly took mercy on his daughter. "I would feel better if we went over the details of it."

"What, now?" Lotor demanded with a frown.

"Yes, now." Cova insisted. "I have heard very little beyond the news that Avok will fight Voltron. I am interested in what sort of contingency plans you have in the case that Avok fails."

"Brother Avok will not fail!" protested Bandor, an admiring look in his eyes. "He is greater than Voltron, greater than any one in the universe!"

Lotor was hesitating. I knew why. We didn't have a true back up plan, having put all our hopes on Avok. If he failed, the Drules planned to evacuate immediately, but not without causing as much damage to Pollux and it's people first.

"You do have a back plan...don't you?" demanded Cova.

"Of course we do." It was Haggar who spoke up. "Why do you think we brought such a large number of ships to Pollux? Even if Avok falls, he should have weakened the Voltron Force to the point our ships can finish them off."

"I will add to your ships with those of planet Pollux's military." Cova decided, and rose up off his knees. "Come Prince Lotor, Haggar. We have much to plan. We have to coordinate our attacks so no...accidents occur."

"Yes...we wouldn't want that." Lotor grumbled with a glower on his face. "Forgive me Romelle...I will have to take a rain check on that tour."

"Of course." She nodded, trying to hide her relief. "Some other time then."

"Count on it." Lotor said, bowing to her before moving to follow her father. The advisors also got up, prince Bandor moving to follow them. "Where do you think you're going?" Lotor demanded, and Bandor paused, surprise in his eyes.

"With you and father..." He said uncertainly.

"This is business." Lotor informed him. "Go play with your toys, and let the adults handle things from this end."

"There's no harm in letting the boy attend is there?" Cova wanted to know. "He has to learn about war sooner or later..."

"I am not here to give him an education." Lotor retorted. It seemed he had chosen to make a target out of the young prince. And all because he had been denied the chance to be alone with Romelle. "Teach him on your own time, Cova."

"Fine." Cova looked away. "Bandor, go seek out the weapons master. I'm sure he is most eager to pick up on your sword training."

"But father...!"

"Bandor, do as I say!" Cova snapped, and Bandor seemed to pout.

"Fine!" Angry, he ran on ahead through one of the many doors of the castle, forcefully slamming it shut behind him. No one tried to make any apologies for Bandor's display of temper. He was after all young, and had been denied something he had wanted to do.

"Haggar, stay here and keep an eye on Avok. I don't doubt that if something goes wrong, it will be you, and not Mogor who averts a disaster."

"Of course, prince Lotor." Haggar bowed her head. "My magic should be able to keep the prince subdued long enough for the Voltron Force to arrive."

"It better." Lotor said, then leaned in close to her. "And keep an eye on that other matter we talked about." I knew enough to know her cat Coba was still wandering the castle, being her eyes and ears for any further plots against the Drules. Haggar would continually check in on the feline, scrying for threats. It was after all the reason she had sent Coba on ahead of her to Pollux.

"Of course sire. You can rest easy. All is in my capable hands." Haggar assured him. Lotor nodded, then gestured for several of the Drule soldiers to accompany him inside the castle. The rest were left to mill out in the court yard, with several hundred more inside the ship. With Lotor gone, Haggar was technically in command. A fact she relished, already begginning to bark out orders.

"Find out what is taking General Mogor so long!" She snarled. "I want Avok's coffin out here, and I want it now! Oh but do be careful...if we jostle him too much, he might get free." She seemed to be the only one not in a panic over the thought, ten soldiers running up the ramp to check on Mogor and the trapped Avok.

"Do be careful with my brother." Romelle surprised me by speaking to Haggar.

"Oh I will." Promised Haggar, turning her creepy smile on the princess. "He is my greatest creation, and I will not have him damaged."

"You needn't fear anything happening to your brother so long as Haggar is keeping watch." I spoke up to reassure Romelle. "She'll keep him safe for as long as it takes for the Voltron force to arrive on Pollux."

"I see. Thank you." Romelle told the witch, who nodded absentmindedly. What did Haggar care about a princess' thanks, when she had more pressing concerns to attend to. "Sabbath...would you accompany me inside the castle?"

I don't think I was able to hide my surprise, or my pleasure at her invite. Even Haggar turned back to us, a suspicious look in her eyes. "You best keep your hands off the prince's treasure..." Haggar murmured a warning in Drule.

"It is not I who is poised to do any mishandling." I growled back to her. Romelle looked puzzled by the exchange, her head cocking to the side.

"Is there a problem?" She wanted to know.

"Not at all." I quickly reassured her. "Haggar just worries too much."

"Worries about what?" Romelle asked, and Haggar smirked.

"Yes, Sabbath, what am I worried about?" I shot her a dirty look, knowing this conversation wouldn't have happened if she hadn't made her original comment in the first place. "Well, commander, we are waiting."

"And you will continue to wait, witch." I retorted to her, and gestured for Romelle to walk ahead of me io the castle. The princess cast one last look between Haggar and me, before sighing and moving away.

"Prince Lotor won't like this." Haggar's voice was low, but within earshot of me.

"The prince requested that I watch out for her." I retorted, then moved to follow Romelle.

Haggar couldn't resist saying one last thing, my sharp hearing picking up on her murmur. "Yes, but who is going to watch out for you?" Ill at ease, I fought the impulse to turn and give the witch one last glare. Instead I stared straight ahead, looking at some spot above Romelle's head. She was standing before a door held open by a Polluxian soldier, a quizzical look in her eyes.

She waited until we were inside the castle, well away from the soldiers and Haggar's curious eyes, to speak. "I've done something wrong. haven't I?"

"Wrong?" I questioned, and she sighed, her shoulders sagging.

"In asking you to come with me."

"No. There was no fault in the request." I told her. "Besides, Prince Lotor asked me to keep an eye out for you during this dangerous time."

"The prince did that?" Romelle asked, and I nodded. I couldn't read her expression, if she was pleased by that or not. "It matters not why you came, just that you did."

I was confused, and let it show, earning a smile from Romelle. "I wanted to show you my home." She explained. "I can't give you a tour of Pollux just yet, but I can show you around the castle at least."

"I...I see."

"You do not want to?" Romelle asked, looking crestfallen. She then shook her head, looking chagrined. "Oh forgive me. I'm sure you have much more important matters to attend to, than putting up with a princess' whims."

"I am free for the moment." I told her with a smile. "And I see no harm in allowing you to show me around your home."

"Good. Then it's agreed." A genuine smile was flashed my way. Romelle was pleased to play hostess. She would take me all over the castle, showing me everything from the large kitchen where the servants prepared the day's meal, to the guest quarters that would be given to the Drules. Eventually we ended up on one of the castle turrets, gazing up at the rapidly darkening sky.

The air was cold here, but Romelle had refused to go inside. Instead she stood hugging her arms around her for warmth, her long, blonde hair billowing out behind her. Even chilled, she looked beautiful, and far happier here than she had been on Doom.

"Thank you for showing me your home." I said, interrupting whatever thoughts she had been having as she gazed out into the distance. She smiled and nodded, seeming happy with what she had done.

"Maybe someday you can repay the favor." Romelle said, then blushed. "Or is that too bold of me?"

"Maybe just a little." I conceded. "But I think there would be better places to bring you to, other than my home town. Canias is not known for much, being little more than a place for soldiers and slaves to call home."

"Canias...?"

"It's on the other side of Doom." I explained. "There's not much to do there, most move out as soon as they can afford to. Generally, the way to earn enough money to do that, is to become a soldier."

"But a soldier's life is rough." She noted and I nodded. "And there is no guarantee you'll live long enough to be able to move."

"Life is Canias is never guaranteed." I couldn't help the dark look that filled my eyes then. "You either claw your way out of it, or you get swallowed up by the city. Just another lost statistic."

"And you did that...clawed your way out I mean." Romelle asked, and again I nodded.

"I had to. That city would have been the death of me." She shivered, and this time I had a feeling it was not from the cold.

"I take it you're not a noble then?"

"I couldn't be farther from that if I had purposefully tried." I gave a humorless laugh then. "My mother? Nothing more than a slave, a common brothel whore. You don't get lower than that..."

"I...I'm sorry." Romelle looked downwards. "I...I really don't know what to say."

"It's not your fault. It's no one's. None of us can help who we're born to."

"But still...the memories must be painful. I didn't mean to make you think about them." Romelle apologized once more.

"It's okay to think about them once in a while. It keeps me humble, keeps me focused. Even as I advanced in rank, I never forgot my beginnings...or what I had to endure to make a better life for myself."

"And your mother...?"

"She's dead." I said after a moment's pause. She immediately looked up, alarmed, her beautiful blue eyes filling with sympathy. "She died a few years back, just as I was starting my career as a soldier."

"How...how did she die?" Romelle seemed to have a morbid curiosity about this, leaving me to try and figure out how much to tell her.

"She was a slave first and foremost." I finally replied. "They never have a long life expectancy, even those who are only used for pleasure." Now I turned away from her, struggling to keep my expression composed. I didn't want to remember, and I definitely didn't want to tell her that the brothel owner, the same Drule who had turned me out on the streets when I was but ten years of age, had beaten my mother to death over some slight offense.

"I'm so sorry..." She apologized. "I know what it's like to lose a mother. Though the situations are vastly different, we both still suffer the pain of that loss."

"That we do princess, that we do." I agreed softly. "I don't have many...things to remember my mother by."

"But I bet you cherish the things you do have." Romelle was confidant of what she was saying then.

"Yes, you're right about that." I turned back to her, a bit startled to see how close she had come to me. I wonder if she had debated on touching me for comfort's sake, then quickly dismissed that as foolish. I looked at her a moment longer, than took her hand, bringing it up so her fingers could brush the ends of the many braids I wore my black hair in. "You see those beads?" I asked her, Romelle touching the jade and magenta colored pieces of round plastic that tied off each and every braid.

"They're lovely." She said.

"No, they're not." I denied. "They're cheap pieces of plastic, tawdry remains of a necklace my mother cherished. Some token of appreciation from her owner. He didn't even try to spend any real money on her. And yet she cherished the necklace. It was probably her greatest possession..."

"You wear the beads to honor her memory." Guessed Romelle.

"I fought her owner for the right to keep that necklace." I tried not to growl at the memory. "He had wanted to take it back, to give a dead woman's most precious belonging to another girl."

"You fought him?" She squeaked out in amazement. "How old were you?"

"Old enough." I answered cryptically. I had been seventeen at the time, and just growing into my body. But I had been at the Drule military academy for two long years and in that time they had taught me how to fight. How to kill if necessary. An aging Drule, fat and unused to a target that could fight back, stood no chance against a boy on the cusp of becoming a man. I was downright brutal to him, making up for the years of mistreatment he had dealt out to my mother.

Romelle was still caressing my hair and the beads, looking like she had no intention of stopping anytime soon. Nor did I want her to, which made me frown and force myself to step back from her. "It's getting late..." I said, my tone gruff due to how flustered I now was. "It will only grow colder the longer we stay out here."

"I don't mind the cold." Romelle quickly answered. I gave her a skeptical look, noting the short sleeves of her dress. "It's fine, really it is." She had colored in response, having noting my pointed stare at her arms.

"Prince Lotor would have my head if you caught a cold just after you recovered from your previous illness."

"The prince needn't concern himself with my health." Romelle retorted, having grown stiff at the mention of Lotor's name.

"He worries all the same. So do I." That made her smile, for all the wrong reasons.

"You worry about me, Sabbath?" She stepped closer to me, her eyes watching me face for it's reaction. It was a struggle to remain devoid of emotion, especially given her delight at my perceived interest in her.

"We should go inside." I tried again to gain her agreement to this course of action. "Everyone will start to wonder what has happened to us."

"Everyone surely will." She sighed then. I wondered if the reason for her sudden upset was thoughts of Lotor, and how he would be waiting for her. "Come commander..." Romelle was suddenly winding her arms around my arm, forced cheer on her face. "I have enjoyed Doom's hospitality long enough. Now it is time for you to get a taste of the feasts Pollux is capable of putting together."

I laughed in agreement, always one up for a good meal. We'd end up in the grand dining room of the castle, where her father and brother would soon join us. Even Haggar and Lotor would put in an appearance, everyone enjoying one last meal together. For some of the people present, it would be the last time I would ever see them. Their deaths loomed right around the corner, and it would not be the Voltron Force that would be responsible for the murders.

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Feli3, oh yes, you got that right. And what a nightmare it is...*cringes* And thanks! :)


	11. Chapter 11

During dinner that evening, it became apparent that Romelle could no longer avoid Lotor. Not without giving offense. Her father's delaying tactics were at an end, Cova and his advisors having occupied Lotor for as long as politely possible. The prince would have no more of it, insisting that enough details had been revealed to Cova of the Drule's armada's planned tactics.

Cova reluctantly conceded to Lotor's wishes, feigning his blessings for Lotor to go off with his daughter. But he wasn't pleased. Neither was I, hiding my frown behind my goblet. If I could have thought of an excuse, I would have used it. Anything to at least accompany them on Lotor's tour of the castle. I might have even gone as far as to skulk after them from shadow to shadow, but Haggar moved to stop me.

"Commander...come with me." I looked at her a long moment, sipping slowly of my drink. "I could use a big, strapping brute such as yourself to help me in my chambers." She feigned a leer, which would have normally disturbed me. But I could see her heart wasn't into it.

"Why me?" I demanded, setting down my drink. "You could have any of these soldiers help you."

"But I've decided on you." Haggar retorted. I frowned, knowing my position as Commander kept me from a lot of meaningless work. I shouldn't have to play errand boy for anyone but the prince. "Besides, the nature of my work is delicate. I wouldn't trust my belongings to just anyone."

"No, you wouldn't." I agreed, but still made no move to stand. "And everyone knows the price they would pay if accidents happened while handling your things."

"This is not a request, but an order." Stressed Haggar. She didn't often pull rank with me, but now she was doing it. "You're going to do this, and you're going to do this now."

I grumbled, but ultimately pushed out of my seat. Her fangs flashed in a smile, Haggar seemed pleased she hadn't had to argue with me for much longer. She'd then turn to King Cova, and nod her hooded head slightly. I'd follow with a much more respectful nod, though neither of us actually bowed to him. None of the Drules did, an insult Cova never chose to call us on.

Haggar would lead me out of the castle, and through the inner courtyard. Avok's coffin was present, guarded by dozens upon dozens of soldiers. His screams continued, the monster still not subdued. I was begginning to wonder if he would be too tired to actually fight Voltron, after his long fight against his imprisonment. I voiced my concern out loud, Haggar pausing on the ramp that led up into the flag ship.

"I wouldn't worry about Avok." She said at last. "Someone with that much energy and anger, won't let a little thing like being trapped tire him out."

"Yes, but he's been struggling for the better part of twenty-four hours!" I argued. "Surely something can be done to make him conserve his strength. Perhaps a sleep spell?"

"My spells are growing weaker where Avok is concerned." Haggar had been hesitant to admit this, giving me a sharp look before walking the rest of the way up the ramp. "He seems to have developed an immunity to them, especially the stronger ones."

"Does Prince Lotor know?" I asked, alarmed. Again that hesitation from the witch, but Haggar didn't stop moving this time.

"I have not seen fit to tell his highness." Came her answer at last. "And you won't either." I frowned then, not liking keeping secrets of this magnitude from Lotor. "It will only just worry him." Haggar added. "Needlessly."

"I think he has a right to be worried." We were moving through the ship's corridors. Haggar was spry for one of her advanced age, moving at a rapid pace. There were rumors that Haggar used magic on herself, all to better combat the effects of aging. A similar rumor existed about King Zarkon, the man an ancient age, and yet acted as healthy as a Drule in his middle age.

"Avok is not yet so far from my control, that there will be a problem." Haggar retorted.

"I hope so witch. For all our sakes." We both fell silent then, but I couldn't stop worrying about her reveal. What did it mean for Avok? If spells meant to subdue him no longer were as effective, or had stopped working altogether, what about other magic? Namely the magic needed to change him back to his former self? More and more, it was becoming apparent that Avok was never meant to come back from being a robeast. But more than that worry, I wondered how Haggar planned to use Avok to conquer other planets. Especially when she was having this much trouble just here on Pollux.

At this rate, it seemed Avok would only be of use to destroy a planet, not subdue it. Haggar probably didn't even care, so long as Avok defeated Voltron for us. She could after all, make more robeasts. Even if they would be considered substandard in comparison to Avok. But then, if Voltron was no longer in the picture, we wouldn't need a better built robeast.

It was these thoughts that had me sighing. I was already uneasy with this whole debacle on Pollux, and the revealed developments with Avok only made my trepidation worse. I was also struggling not to worry about Romelle being alone with Lotor, trying not to picture just what he might try to do to her. I found myself hoping he had sated his lusts on his harem, if only to keep him behaving more appropriately.

"Here..." Haggar had reached her private cabin, pausing to unlock her door. I was loathe to enter it, peering into the darkness of the room. There was only a dim glow in one corner, some sort of glowing moss she had brought with her. The musky scent of mixed herbs, fermented oddities, and preserved body parts wafted out into the hall. It made my nose wrinkle in disgust, even as Haggar gestured impatiently for me to step in ahead of her.

She wouldn't turn on the overhead lights until after I stepped inside, as though she was testing how brave I was. The room seemed a million times worse once the lights were on, looking like a smaller version of her workshop. She had a body laid out on the coffee table, I was surprised it could support the corpse's weight without collapsing.

Skulls that had been picked clean of all skin, stared at me from the shelves, their mouths frozen in toothy grins. There were jars on the shelves beneath them, eyes and tongues floating in some kind of preserving liquid, even a brain at one point was revealed. I couldn't help but wonder if those parts had once belonged to the skulls, even as my eyes were quickly drawn away to another shelf.

This one didn't seem so bad, for at least I couldn't identify what those bottled objects were. There was more shelves, filled with thick books that were bound in leather, and in one case the flayed hide of a long dead Drule. That book creeped me out the most, making me wonder who had been killed, and why it had been necessary to bound it's pages in his skin.

"What do you need me to do?" I asked at last, not jumping when Haggar closed the door to her cabin. It didn't seem like there was much that needed to be done, her shelves were packed with items. This cabin was her home away from home, Haggar often traveling to Arus on this ship. She had used this room long before Lotor had arrived to take over the Arus invasion, and even if Lotor was replaced, she would continue to use it for her magic.

"Oh, there's some boxes and things in the bedroom." Haggar said absentmindedly. She was setting her crystal ball down on a corner table that was bolted in place to the floor. All the furniture onboard our ships had to be secured, else accidents were liable to occur.

"Fine." I grumbled under my breath as I went into the bedroom, and picked up one of the largest of boxes. It felt like it weighed a ton, and though that might have been an exaggeration, it still staggered me to carry it back out. Haggar was by the body, staring at it's uncut flesh. I sincerely hoped she wasn't about to start slicing into it while I was present.

"Just put it down over there." Haggar gave an offhanded gesture by the couch. "We'll unpack it's contents soon enough." Again I grumbled, placing it down where she said. She'd have me fetch three more boxes of a similar size and weight before stopping me cold with a question. "You're worried about her, aren't you?"

I instantly knew the her she referred to, though I tried to play dumb. "Her?" A box was in my arms, I pretended to be concerned with setting it down, rather than look at the witch. "You'll have to be more specific than that witch. I know many women..and they me." I forced a saucy grin on my face, letting her determine the nature of those relationships.

Haggar grew agitated, almost angry then. "I am not talking about those whores you fuck!" I was shocked by her language, and insulted by her choice of words. I didn't sleep with actual whores, having no taste for the slaves kept in the brothels. It hit too close to home, I could remember growing up under the care of my mother and the other brothel slaves before being turned out on the streets. I had seen the harsh treatment they had received, and not just from their owner, but from the men who bought them for a time. Some men would spend the whole night with a slave, others only an hour. It didn't matter how little or long they spent, the treatment was the same, deplorable.

I myself always made it a point to associate with women who were free to choose who they would sleep with. I didn't want to buy affection, had even cultivated friendships with some of the women who had become my lovers. "I don't associate with whores..." Not any more, not since my mother's death, and I had been able to leave behind the life of my childhood.

Haggar waved in a dismissive manner, as if the words was mere semantics. "I'm talking about the princess." A chill went through me, even as I tried to tell myself she was being overly concerned over the exchange she had witnessed in the castle's courtyard.

"What about princess Romelle?" I asked calmly.

"You like her." She accused, and even with my back to her, I could feel the witch's eyes boring into me. Like daggers, which instantly made me turn, all to better defend myself in case she should decide to attack. "Do not try to deny it. Not to me."

"So what if I do?" I asked defensively. "There's no harm in being attracted to a beautiful woman."

"There is when that woman is slated to become the prince's bride!" snapped Haggar. "Commander, I am concerned."

"About me? You needn't be."

She snorted then. "I didn't say it was you I was concerned about."

"Then who?" I demanded, and she paused, looking unsettled.

"There's a feeling in the air." She muttered. "I can sense the wrongness of this situation. That girl will be trouble..." She shook her head, and turned back to the body on the coffee table.

"Trouble for who?" I asked, and prodded her for more information. "For me? For Lotor?"

"Yes...no...maybe." That told me nothing, and I could see it frustrated Haggar just as much as it did me. She reached into her robes, rustling about the coarse brown fabric, before pulling out a wicked looking knife. It was some kind of ceremonial dagger, it's blade curved and far cleaner than I expected, considering what it was used for.

Viciously, Haggar stabbed it into the body, blood immediately welling out in response. She had no trouble slicing it downwards, cutting open the stomach. Blood wasn't the only thing that came out of the body, it's insides began to fall out, Haggar making no move to stop most of it from landing on the cabin's carpet. She left the dagger sticking out of the body, and then sunk her arms up to her elbows into the cavity.

Disturbed, I watched her, her hands rummaging through the insides of the alien's body. She began to mumble, and it was not in any language that I understood. The body made horrible, squelching sounds as she sifted through it. I couldn't be certain, but I believed she was using the insides to try and get answers, maybe even try to divine the future.

I knew enough not to speak to her while she was like this. I could only stare, waiting for her to finish. How long this took I did not know, a minute could have gone by, or an hour before the witch pulled back. Her hands were covered with gore and ichor, the blood a strange green color. Haggar seemed to stare down at the body in horror, and she actually swayed as though she might faint. I made no move to try and catch her. After that scene I wasn't about to touch her, even to keep her upright.

Haggar was still mumbling in that weird language, when she turned to me. Her yellow cat's eyes had gone dark, the black slit having expanded to eat away all the color. It freaked me out to tell the truth, Haggar looking demonic.

"She will be trouble." Haggar announced in Drule. "Oh yes, I've seen it. So much trouble."

"Romelle?" She nodded, and I tried to play off my nervousness with a laugh. "What trouble could she possibly cause."

"Worlds of it." Haggar retorted, eyes still black. "It would be better if she dies."

I was still frightened, but anger flared in me, reacting to Haggar's words as the threat they were. "You will not harm her!" I growled, and that unsettling gaze met mine.

"I will not harm her." She agreed. "But you will." I blinked, taken aback by that. "Take the blade...do what must be done. End her life now before it all comes undone!"

"You can't expect me to harm Romelle!" I exclaimed, and her eyes seemed to gain back the yellow.

"You will do her more damage in allowing her to live through what will happen next." Haggar retorted. I didn't know if she meant it, or if she was trying to play on my fears to get me to do what she wanted. "She will never love you."

I let out an unsettled laugh. "You have confused me for prince Lotor. It is he who wants the princess' love." Haggar gave me a look that I was unfamiliar with. It still shakes me to this day. It was pity.

"Enough of this talk." I said when I was able to recover from the look she was giving me. "You know it is pointless. The prince would be furious if something were to happen to the princess." I moved back to the bedroom, gathering up another one of her boxes. Haggar continued to stare at me, turning slowly to keep me in her sights. I would bring another box out, and another, until all the boxes were by the couch. "Now what?"

Wordlessly, Haggar gestured to open them. I used my claws to slice open the sealant, spying the many books in the first box. Thankfully none of them were bound in skin. At least not that I could tell. But they looked old, some appearing as though they might crumbles apart at my touch.

There were other boxes, some with more books. But mostly it was supplies, bottles and jars, containing all matter of things. None of it was labeled, leaving me to wonder how Haggar knew what was what.

She'd come to stand next to me, and she would not speak save to tell me where to place each item. She'd watch me though, the witch's gaze considering. It sent shivers down my back, but I would not speak to her. Not even to question her about this supposed doom she saw where Romelle was concerned. But it bothered me, especially the last thing she had said. But what did a creature like Haggar understand of love? Nothing, I was sure of it.

One thing was certain, Haggar had succeeded, perhaps inadvertently, to distract me from my worries about Lotor and Romelle. I was now more concerned about that vision she had had, and what it could mean. I was especially fearful for Romelle, thinking that Haggar might be so determined to see her dead, that she would enlist the help of some of the soldiers on board the ship. It made me want to warn her and Lotor, thinking if the prince knew Haggar wouldn't be able to act.

Romelle was important to me, I knew that. I didn't want her dead. Worry consumed me, and I found myself becoming careless in the handling of Haggar's things. Nothing broke, but I nearly dropped a jar on the floor. Haggar was so affected by whatever she had seen, she didn't even reprimand me.

"When you say...Romelle will trouble. What exactly did you see?" My tone was casual as I tried to pry information out of the witch.

"Everything...nothing..." Haggar sighed then. "Too many images at once...leaving me only with the certainty of what must be done to avert disaster." She looked at me with her eyes narrowed. "You are as big a fool as Lotor is, when it comes to women." I frowned at her but before I could sputter out a reply, her crystal ball began to glow. She immediately turned to it, an excited sound escaping her. "They approach!"

"The Voltron Force?" I breathed out, watching Haggar touch her crystal. She handled it almost lovingly, laughing to herself.

"Go...inform Lotor of what is happening." She told me, then frowned. "Don't bother with your communicator. The fool has turned it off again." I frowned too, thinking now was definitely not the time of Lotor to be unavailable on the communication grid. "Hurry!" Haggar hissed when I didn't move fast enough to the door. "Everyone must get into place..."

"I understand." I hurried out of the cabin, glad to leave it and the witch behind. I'd pass other Drules in the corridors, shouting at them to find Mogor. To tell the General to get ready. Word would quickly spread that the Voltron Force was nearly on the planet, the soldiers getting ready for the next stage of our plan. Lotor would remain missing, forcing me to enter the castle in search of him.

I would pass on word to the human soldiers inside the castle, and they would inform King Cova of the Voltron Force's impending arrival. But no one would be able to tell me where Lotor and Romelle were, the prince and princess having vanished. I cursed under my breath, stalking through the corridors of the castle. It would be a room by room search for them, time consuming and ultimately fruitless. The soldiers inside the castle were too concerned with getting into place to bother with looking for the missing pair, it would fall on my shoulders to continue the search alone.

It would take time, but eventually I would be alerted to sounds. I was on the second floor, drawing near to the stair case that led up to the third floor when I heard them. At first I wasn't sure it was them, the voices and sounds muffled. They sounded as if they were whispering, as though both were concerned about drawing attention to them. A woman was hissing, sounded a little breathless with her panic.

"No, we can't." She said, and I heard the rustle of fabric. "It's...it's not proper..."

"To hell with what's proper!" The man hissed back. I was still opening doors, checking the rooms for Lotor and Romelle as I listen to the exchange above me. "We are going to be married..."

"That's up to my father to decide!" A gasp, followed by an outraged squeal. I could guess what had happened, the man having decided to silence the female's protests with a kiss. But she wasn't happy about that stolen affection, and I could hear more clothing rustling. Another protesting squeak, and then the soft thump of a body hitting a solid surface.

"STOP!" The shriek that followed had me rushing forward, the last two doors remaining closed. I had recognized that voice as Romelle's, the princess sounding protest. "St-" Her shriek turned into another gasp, and then Lotor's moan followed. If I could, I would have flown the rest of the way to them, my head clearing the landing as I rushed up the stairs.

They didn't notice me at first, too focused on each other. Lotor had Romelle trapped between him and a wall, his one hand caressing down her side and to the back of her. He was pulling up her skirt as he did this, revealing plenty of thigh as he forced his kiss on her. She wasn't docile as he kissed her, Romelle angry and through with being polite. She was actually hitting him, repeatedly and even went so far as to grab at his hair and pull.

She had more strength than Lotor gave her credit for, that pull on his hair hurting him to the point he howled. It was then that she slapped him, the sound resounding through the hall. She hadn't noticed my arrival, too focused on Lotor, blue eyes a dark sapphire that brimmed with her anger. I couldn't see Lotor's face, but I saw what he did next, grabbing her by the arms and slamming her hard into the wall. The back of her head bounced on the paneling, Romelle making a pained sound.

He slammed her a second time when I was crying out. "Prince Lotor!"

"Sabbath!" Romelle was the one who answered, even as Lotor tried to slam her a third time. It made me wonder if he was trying to knock the fight out of her, or render her unconscious. Both things were possible with him, the prince didn't handle rejection of any kind well.

"What do you want commander?" Lotor asked, Romelle staring at me over his shoulder. Her anger had dimmed, her expression pained. I wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't given her a concussion through his actions.

"Sire..." I paused, warring with the impulse to grab Lotor and slam him into the wall. "Let go of the princess."

"You don't give me orders commander." Lotor retorted, and moved to grip Romelle to him. She struggled, hands scrabbling for purchase on his face. Her nails were not claws, but they still scored marks on his skin, Lotor crying out. His hand lifted, he appeared as though he was going to strike Romelle. I lunged forward, grabbing hold of his arm.

"Don't!" Romelle took that opportunity to wiggle away from him, but not before Lotor grabbed at her dress. A ripping sound was heard, the back of her bodice being torn. Romelle quickly crossed her arms over her chest to hold up her dress, darting behind me when Lotor tried to follow her. "Why are you acting this way?" I hissed to Lotor. He turned to me, and I could see he was barely in control of his emotions. But he wasn't drunk, his eyes clear of any intoxication.

"The princess and I are merely having a misunderstanding." Lotor said, with barely restrained anger.

"It looked like more than a misunderstanding to me." It was foolish of me, but my own anger was roused.

"Then perhaps you should have your vision checked." Lotor retorted, trying to move around me to get at Romelle. She gasped, and moved with me as I turned to keep him in sight. Lotor's eyes narrowed, he didn't like that Romelle had gone to me, anymore than he liked that I was protecting her. "Commander..." He had switched to Drule. "When I ordered you to protect the princess, I didn't mean from ME."

"That may be so...but I can and will stop my friend from making a mistake." I told him.

"The only one who is making any mistakes is YOU." Lotor snarled, and tried to lunge past me. Romelle shrieked, and abandoned her position at my back, making a run for the stairs. Lotor tried to follow, and I grabbed his arm, earning a strike to my face. I staggered, and hit the wall, shocked he had hit me.

"There is no time for this bull shit." I growled at him. "The Voltron Force is here."

"The Voltron Force?" He didn't look like he cared. Or maybe the problem was he thought I was lying. "Are they really?"

"The news comes from Haggar's own crystal ball." I told him, my voice unable to hide my anger. "She told me to get you. It seems you forgot to switch on your

communicator again." The look on his face said it was no accident his communicator had been switched off. "We need to get into position." I added, when Lotor glanced in the direction Romelle had run off.

"Very well commander." Lotor was reluctant. "Romelle can wait...for now." He was still giving me the evil eye, I could feel our friendship had been damaged. I didn't know if it was repairable, and right now wasn't the time to try. Not with the Voltron Force drawing near.

To Be Continued!

Michelle

Feli3, thank you for the Christmas wishes! Hope yours was good. And happy New Years a bit early! :) Ah...sadly Sabbath for the next few chapters will be guilty of um, how should I say this, well...he does bad through being inactive. In a future chapter, i have him explain how he had just started to come to have doubts about Lotor and Zarkon and the Doom Empire. That he hadn't been prepared to abandon his own planet and people for someone he just met. Which leads him to regret that he doesn't try to do something to help Romelle sooner...Hopefully I show how he becomes disillusioned with the way Doom and it's leaders and military does things. And yeah,...last chapter was the calm before the first of many storms. I hope next chapter won't bore people, since it's mainly the retelling of the first Pollux episode, the fight between Avok and Voltron! And as always, thank you so much for reading and leaving your comments! :D


	12. Chapter 12

Haggar was waiting for us by the time Lotor and I reached the courtyard. She was actually tapping a foot in impatience, her eyes constantly turning to the crystal ball she held in her hands. I could see images moving inside it. Coba was apparently on the move, prowling the halls of the castle. What she expected her cat to find at this point I didn't know, but Haggar was agitated. Perhaps even more so than Lotor and I were.

"So where are they?" Lotor demanded without preamble. He fixed me with a glare, one that spoke of the trouble I would be in if Haggar didn't back up my claims about the Voltron Force. "Where is the Voltron Force?"

"I do not know..." Haggar admitted. "They have disappeared..."

"What do you mean they disappeared? How is that even possible?" Lotor growled out in question.

"There is powerful magic where that robot is concerned." Retorted Haggar. "Powerful enough to cloud even my crystal. I can tell you this though. They are on the planet...near enough to the castle to cause trouble."

"That doesn't tell me much." Lotor grumbled. Haggar was unapologetic, giving a shrug of her shoulders. "Have our people scour the country side. I want them found."

"Of course sire." Haggar bowed her head in a nod. "I've already seen fit to dispatch some of our ships to do just that."

"What is their game..." Lotor muttered out loud. "If they're here to challenge Avok...why bother with this subterfuge...?"

"Maybe they're not here for Avok." I said, drawing Lotor and Haggar's attention to me. "Maybe they've come for peace."

"Peace?" Lotor snorted, dismissing that idea as possible. "There will be no peace. Not for Arus."

Or for Pollux. But I didn't voice that thought out loud. Haggar and Lotor would have merely laughed, might even have thought me insane for worrying for the fate of the planet. Drules who expressed guilt over what their leaders commanded them to do, didn't last very long in the Empire's employ.

"I've sent General Mogor into the castle." Haggar was saying to Lotor. "He has a small squad of soldiers with him."

"Good." Lotor purred. "If the Voltron force does somehow make their way inside the castle, they'll be caught almost immediately."

"It will be a shame though..." Haggar sighed. "I was looking forward to seeing Avok fight their robot."

"We can't always get what we want." Lotor told her. "If we can get a victory without employing that beast, so much the better." He smirked at Haggar's sullen expression. "Fear not Haggar. Avok won't go to waste. You'll get to see him on a rampage soon enough."

His words were purposefully misleading, so that any of the many Polluxian soldiers in the courtyard would assume he meant on a world that wasn't their own. The Drules knew better, exchanging sly glances and smirks as they waited eagerly for the destruction Avok would cause on planet Pollux.

"It will be a spectacular show, will it not?" Lotor asked her, and Haggar quickly nodded.

"Oh yes...I dare say it won't take him long to decimate the planet either." She cocked her head to the side, thinking about it. "With Doom offering support from the sky, I would say it would take less than twenty hours for the planet to be wasted."

"That little?" I was amazed, but Lotor was not.

"Twenty hours? You overestimate Avok." Lotor scoffed. "I say it takes at least thirty-two hours."

"Would you care to bet on that, your highness?" Haggar asked. Even the witch was not immune to the Drules love of gambling.

"What wager do you have in mind?" Lotor was cautious. I could not blame him. Money did not interest the witch. She would want something else, and considering how high a position she held in Zarkon's court, I couldn't imagine her asking Lotor for more power. Whatever she would want to bet for, it would be unpleasant. Her cackle of laughter did not reassure me or Lotor, Haggar smirking.

"I'm not after you to give me your first born child if that's what your worried about." The witch wasn't trying that hard to be reassuring.

"Then what?" Lotor demanded, expression guarded.

"It'll be something you won't even miss all that much." Soothed Haggar.

"Let me be the judge of that." Lotor grumbled.

"So suspicious." Haggar sighed, as though put out by Lotor's wariness. I thought he had a right to be wary where Haggar was concerned. "Perhaps someone else will be confidant enough to take my bet." Her eyes met mine now, and I quickly shook my head no.

"I have nothing of value for you, witch!"

"No one ever wants to gamble with me." Grumbled the witch, glancing down at her crystal ball. Coba had entered a room, choosing to crouch down under what appeared to be a couch. It was a comfortable looking room, full of plenty of places to sit down. Coba swept his gaze about the room, and it was then that we saw them. Prince Bandor and his sister, Romelle. She had taken then time to change into a blue dress to replace the one Lotor had torn.

They were standing near to the opening that led out to the room's balcony, Romelle gazing away from her brother to stare at something in the distance. Coba wasn't close enough to show us just what Romelle saw, but the feline was able to pick up on the princess' words. "Oh..." She sighed out in appreciation. "The Planet Arus looks so beautiful tonight."

Bandor didn't seem impressed with Arus' beauty, pointing up at it. His voice spoke of possession, the prince confidant in what he was saying. "By tomorrow at this time, we'll have conquered it, Romelle. You'll no longer have to stare at it from afar. We'll be living there, leaving the nightmare of Pollux behind us." Romelle glanced downwards at his words, a sad look in her eyes. It made Bandor sigh, the prince bothered by her lack of cheer. "You should be happy about this Romelle!"

"No..." She shook her head no. "War is nothing to be happy about Bandor."

"It is too!" insisted Bandor, looking upset. "Lotor promised me that after Avok gets rids of Voltron, I can have my own castle!"

Romelle frowned then, placing her hands on her brother's shoulders. "You can't believe everything Lotor says."

I glanced away from Haggar's crystal long enough to see Lotor's scowl. He hadn't liked what Romelle had said, even if it was the truth about him.

"Is there a problem between you and the pretty princess?" Haggar asked, her voice teasing.

"Nothing more than a set back." Lotor retorted, and Haggar studied his face. He had the scratch marks from Romelle's nails on his cheeks, one having just missed his right eye.

"Your face tells a different story." Haggar said, and Lotor snarled, flashing all his teeth at her.

"Keep your eyes peeled for Voltron, rather than looking for trouble elsewhere!" He glanced at me, and I quickly held up my hands to show I meant no harm. I didn't need to be any more of a target for Lotor's anger. Especially when he was still simmering with rage over the incident with Romelle.

"All right kitty, that's more than enough of these two." Haggar whispered to her crystal. She wanted Coba to resume his travels through the castle, the witch assuming nothing of interest would happen with the brother and sister. She was wrong, a noise sounding from the hallway. It drew Bandor and Romelle's attention, and prevented Coba from leaving his hiding place.

Bandor pressed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence as his other hand drew the sword on his hip. Romelle nodded in understanding, mouthing the words to be careful, as Bandor snuck over to the open doorway. His sword was held out in front of him, ready to stab into anyone who was out there. We'd all get a surprise when we saw the green and white spandex of a Voltron Pilot, the boy jumping in place as the sword's point touched his back.

"It's that runt." Lotor growled, even as Haggar gasped.

"The Voltron Force are in the castle! Alert General Mogor at once!"

"Yes, Haggar." I quickly got out my communicator, dialing the number to Mogor's personal line. He had been anticipating the call, so picked up immediately. I quickly relayed the information, Mogor and his men hurrying off to corner the Voltron Force. And all the while I kept an eye on the scene inside the crystal ball, watching as the youngest pilot of Voltron turned slowly to face Bandor.

Bandor was actually taller than the pilot, and he raised his sword to poke the boy in the cheek. "I don't know who you are, but you better start talking!"

"I don't know what to talk about!" The pilot in green cried out, sounding panicked. "How about sports or the weather?"

"Real funny!" An angry Bandor snapped. "I bet you're a spy."

"Pidge, are you all right?" A female's voice called out from out of Coba's view. We all recognized that voice, Lotor breathing out her name in pleasure.

"Allura!"

"And where the princess of Arus is, the others will soon follow!" Haggar said, just as Romelle lost patience. Her concern for her brother made her speak out, the princess already moving to join him at the door.

"Bandor, what's happening?" She would arrive at the same exact instance as Allura, both princess drawing to a halt. They both gasped in surprise, staring at each other. Even though Allura was dressed in the pink and white spandex of her pilot's uniform, it had to be like looking in a mirror. Even Bandor looked shocked, barely remembering to keep his sword trained on the one called Pidge.

Neither princess was moving, just staring at one another in shocked awe. But footsteps sounded behind them, Coba creeping into a new position to give us a better view. The three remaining members of the Voltron Force were rushing down the corridor, and they too stopped to stare at Romelle. Mouths dropped open, they all seemed speechless until the biggest one spoke.

"She looks like Allura's twin sister." The pilot of yellow lion exclaimed.

Pidge seemed immune to the sword at his cheek, muttering softly. "I'm glad I'm wearing my glasses!"

"You must be the princess of planet Pollux." Allura had finally found her voice.

"I'm Romelle." Came the answer, and Allura managed a smile.

"I'm Princess Allura of planet Arus."

"Huh!" Romelle let out an exaggerated gasp, taking a step back. Bandor's eyes had narrowed at those words, even as the pilot of black lion was speaking.

"They're almost cousins...and still the resemblance is hard to believe!"

"Okay, you're all my prisoners!" Shouted Bandor, abandoning Pidge to point his sword at Allura. The princess of Arus gasped, and backed up, Bandor advancing on her, his sword aimed at her face.

The male members of the Voltron Force acted with anger, and it was yellow lion's pilot that moved. That large brute of a human bellowed out a question, barreling into Prince Bandor. "What do you think you're doing? HEY!" Bandor fell to the floor, his sword sliding out of his grip.

Allura had recovered from her fright, turning to look at Romelle. "We musn't fight!" She said, tone urgent. "If there is to be peace, it must begin here."

"Who said anything about peace?" Bandor leapt to his feet, and jumped between the two princesses. He seemed determined to shield Romelle from Allura, all but snarling at the Arusian princess. "When the fighting starts even Voltron can't help you!"

"Romelle...listen..." Allura had seemed to realize the princess of Pollux was the only one of the siblings who might listen to her pleas for peace. Unfortunately for her, Romelle was the one Polluxian royal who didn't hold any real power. Certainly not the power to make peace between their two worlds.

Haggar echoed my thoughts, cackling happily. "Fools! They waste their time and breath on Romelle. She can't do anything for them, no matter how much she might wish to otherwise...!"

"It matters not.." Lotor said. "Just keep talking Allura. Keep talking until Mogor gets there!"

"It must make you happy, prince." Haggar was sly then. "To see your future brides getting along so well."

"I don't care if they fight, so long as they don't kill one another." Smirked Lotor. I had the feeling he might enjoy it if they fought over him, for his affections and time. If that was the case, it was just another one of his delusions manifesting where the two princesses were concerned.

"Maybe between us we can bring peace..." Allura had started to cry, thick tears leaking down her face. They seemed to move Romelle, who was slowly nodding her head in agreement.

"Yes." She said, even as Bandor gasped. "We must try..."

"Romelle! What are you saying!" He demanded, just as Pidge called out a concern.

"Hey team! Guess what!" He had gone to the balcony, and seen all the soldiers milling about outside in the courtyard. Lotor actually turned to wave up at him, smirking and radiating smugness. From Haggar's crystal, came Pidge's nervous exclamation. "We're surrounded!"

"That's right! Give it up!" Bandor said, dragging Romelle into the room and retrieving his sword. He seemed intent on going after Pidge, waving his sword wildly about. At the same time, Mogor appeared, the general having led a good twenty soldiers into the corridor.

"There they are! Open fire!" he cried out, and immediately the corridor was filled with red and blue lasers. The Voltron force was firing back, Pidge doing his best to avoid Bandor's sword, and join his team out in the hall.

"Hey team, follow me!" The leader of the Voltron force said, running into the room with Bandor and Romelle. "We gotta get to Voltron. Out that window now!"

Romelle screamed, Mogor and his soldiers not bothering to stop their shooting, even though there was a chance they could hit the prince and princess of Pollux. Lotor growled, and I knew then that Mogor would be in a lot of trouble for endangering Romelle like that.

"Bandor!"

The prince barreled into his sister, knocking her to the ground. I was impressed by how brave Bandor was, the loyalty he felt to his sister. He didn't hesitate to cover her with his body, protecting her from the lasers that flew over head.

Pidge was the first member of the Voltron Force to jump over the balcony's railing. The other four would follow, diving into the moat that circulated through the castle's inner courtyard. Immediately, Drule soliders surrounded the moat on both sides, firing their lasers into the water. The water of the moat churned violently, splashes exploding from the force of the lasers.

"Get Avok ready!" Lotor snarled at Haggar. She nodded, and turned, shouting out commands.

"Someone! Release those chains..." Drule soldiers hurried to do just that, and once the chains were off, Avok seemed to explode from the coffin. He was ready for a fight, spoiling for it, and screaming out his rage. At the same exact instant, the already formed Voltron flew out of the moat, everyone gasping in shock. We hadn't expected them to hide the robot so close to the castle, and I would learn later that the moat was part of a large stream that fed into the castle from a nearby lake.

Voltron hovered in the sky for a brief second, before coming crashing down. They didn't seem to care about the damage they would do, crushing a large part of the courtyard's wall in the landing. Drule and Pollouxian soldiers fled, the humans screaming in a panic, neither race wanting to be stepped on by Voltron.

"It is the time to strike!" Haggar cried out, and from the flag ship came a beam. It hit Avok in the back, the robeast screaming more in surprise than pain. The beam would continue to pummel Avok's body, till he glowed. I never understood much about the magic that went into enlarging our robeasts to gargantuan sizes. I just knew it was Haggar's own spells that powered the beams, stored magic that further enhanced the robeasts.

Avok grew to be taller than the highest turret on the castle, and he roared out a challenge as he noticed Voltron for the first time. His blue skin was clad in the enchanted armor Haggar had made for him, the gray tunic and cape enhanced to absorb Voltron's laser beams. In Avoks right hand he held a sword, though truthfully I thought he could do without it, and still do enough damage to Voltron.

He began twirling the sword about in complex patterns, showing off for Voltron. The Voltron Force reacted by forming blazing sword, but they didn't get to do much with the weapon. Avok immediately knocked it out of Voltron's hands with the twirling of HIS blade, and the robot seemed to step back in fright. Avok lunged forward, sword slashing downwards on the front of Voltron's frame. Sparks showered down on us, everyone was running to avoid the two giants.

Frankly, I was surprised our ship didn't get trampled on during the fight. Fortunately for all of us, Avok backed Voltron out of the courtyard, and into the open plains that surrounded the castle. Avok thrust his sword again, digging into the chest plate on Voltron's front. He pushed forward, the sword slipping off the slick metal skin, forcing Avok to spin to recover. He roared with fury. and went to slash at Voltron's face. The robot brought up it''s left arm, taking the blow on it's elbow joint. A mighty groan was heard, the metal being splintered from the force of Avok's slash.

Backing up, Voltron held up it's right hand, a weapon called spinning laser blades appearing in it's hands. The arm holding the weapon pulled back, Voltron throwing it at Avok. The robeast didn't seem to register the weapon as a threat, continuing to spin his sword as he advanced on Voltron. I winced when the spinning laser blades clashed with Avok's sword, both going flying.

Avok's sword would come crashing down blade first into the courtyard, cracking open the cement surface as it buried into the ground. The soldiers had just managed to avoid it, and we were all running as Voltron's lunge took Avok back into the courtyard. The robeast recovered enough to make a grab for Voltron, the robot grabbing at Avok's wrist. The two ended up locked together, wrestling for control.

I was so focused on the fight, I wouldn't even notice that the remaining members of the royal family of Pollux had evacuated the castle. But Lotor would, motioning to his soldiers to get into place.

The standstill between the two giants were broken, Avok picking up Voltron, and bending over backwards to body slam the robot head first into the concrete. Avok roared, his arms thrown up in victory as he stared down at Voltron. The robot didn't have time to recover, Avok was stalking towards it, bending to grab Voltron by it's head. He made a fist, intending to smash it down and break apart the face of Voltron when it happened. Fire erupted from Voltron's mouth, the torch shooting up into Avok's face. It blinded him, Avok letting go to grab at his own face, screaming in pain.

While Avok tried to put out the flames, Voltron lunged to it's feet. It quickly turned and rushed towards the robeast, barreling into the distracted Avok. The flames were out, but Avok still couldn't see, but he reacted to Voltron's presence, grabbing at it's body. The two began wrestling again, crashing into another part of the courtyard's wall. It didn't go down, not until Avok began kicking at Voltron's right leg.

Leg weakened, Voltron fell over backwards, taking down the wall with it. The two would continue to fight, rolling down the hill, and into the stream that fed into the castle's moat. Bandor would draw my attention from the fight, alerting me to his presence by his screams.

"Get him Avok, get him!"

Voltron and Avok stood up in the stream, both soaking wet. I wondered what would happen next, but before Avok could grab Voltron, the robot lit up with a golden glow. It was electricity that flowed out of the robot and into Avok, electrocuting him as he stood in the water.

Lotor had had enough, his communicator out in his hand as he growled into it. "Mogor! Blast them BOTH with everything you got! Demolish them!"

Star cutters rose out of the flag ship in response to Lotor's command, a group of them flying out past the castle, and towards Avok and Voltron. Red beams lit up the night sky, the star cutters opening firing on both giants. The beams hit Avok in the back, only serving to enrage him further. He turned and began smashing the star cutters into pieces with his fists. Voltron would do the same.

Avok roared, and began chasing after the remaining star cutters. It seemed his attention span was limited, the once human prince easily distracted to a new target. Voltron would move after Avok, pausing occasionally to destroy more of the star cutters. I was watching all this with a bemused expression when Romelle screamed. I whirled in the direction her voice had come from, and saw her standing with her hands to her face. Her beautiful eyes were wet with tears, and she was shaking violently at the sight before her.

Her father, King Cova was staring downwards, the prince of Doom before him. Lotor was down on one knee, his sword in hand, and firmly planted inside Cova's chest. So deep had he buried his sword, it's tip had come out of Cova's back. It glistened with Cova's red blood, and I realized then that some of it had splattered onto Romelle's skirts.

"Romelle, run!" Bandor screamed. He was fighting with some of the Drules, his sword waving wildly about. Polluxian soldiers were rushing to help him, and I realized then fighting had erupted all around us, Drules against humans. Even Haggar was part of the battle, holding her crystal ball close to her chest, as she waved her free hand, sending blasts of magic out at random soldiers.

Romelle didn't react until Lotor looked at her, smirking as he slowly withdrew his sword from her father's body. She screamed again, and spun on her heel, taking off for the castle.

"GET HER!" Screamed Lotor, shaking the blood off his sword. Before it could get cleaned, a solider from Pollux lunged for him, Lotor turning and lopping off the man's head in one strike.

"Let me go!" Romelle screamed, four Drule soldiers around her. Two if them had her by the arms, and she was struggling as best she could, kicking out with her legs though her skirts got in the way. They were dragging her to the flag ship, and Bandor screamed.

"Sister!"

"Stop him!" Haggar cried out, and one of the soldiers with Romelle turned and aimed his blaster at Bandor. The red beam fired, hitting the prince who fell face first to the ground. Romelle screamed even louder, surely assuming Bandor had been killed. She was still screaming as they dragged her past me, onto the flag ship's ramp.

"Sababth! Oh Sabbath! Stop this! Help me!" I felt guilt flare up in me as I studiously avoiding looking her way. I heard the betrayal in her voice, Romelle losing some of her fight to question me. "Sabbath why? I thought you were my friend..."

"You thought wrong!" laughed Haggar, stepping onto the ramp. I shot Haggar a hostile glare. I didn't need her to make the situation any worse than it already was. "Oh but don't worry princess. I'm sure Prince Lotor will be glad to console you about your broken dreams!"

A sob greeted those words, Romelle being dragged up the rest of the way into the ship. Haggar continued to laugh, even as she turned to blast another human soldier. Lotor was running towards us, cutting down human after human as he tried to reach the ship. He looked invigorated, the brutality of the battle suiting him well. He didn't let anyone get close enough to hurt him, not even one scratch was on him as he ran past me, and up the ramp.

"Commander, let's go!" He ordered, and I came out of my daze long enough to nod. I hurried up the ramp, and it was only then that I realized I hadn't fired even a single shot during this battle. I didn't know what to make of my inaction, or the shock that had gripped me as the events played out around me. Even knowing what I had known, I hadn't expected the situation on Pollux to turn so brutal so quickly. If I was shocked by the violence, I couldn't imagine what Romelle was thinking. I was glad for that, sure she hated me now as much as she hated Prince Lotor.

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Feli 3, happy New Year! And oh! I'm blushing over your comments. :D Thanks so much, that really made me hapy to read. Oh man...it would be cool to actually do a story for WEP...but I think they would find it too brutal if they wanted kids to enjoy Voltron. ^^;;


	13. Chapter 13

It was pure pandemonium beneath us, what few soldiers the Drules had left alive milling about aimlessly. With their rulers either dead, incapacitated, or captured, they had not a clue as to what to do with themselves. Some hovered over the bodies of King Cova and Bandor, obscuring the two from our view. Others ran into the castle, joining the dead King's advisors in looting the place. And still others stood, and opened fire on the flag ship, making many of the gathered Drules laugh.

I was not one of them, finding nothing amusing about this situation. Especially with Romelle standing so near to me, her eyes full of the betrayal she felt. She didn't even seem to care about anything else, or anyone, so focused on me was she. I tried to avoid looking her way, but I swore I could feel the weight of her gaze. Or maybe that was my own guilt manifesting, leaving me to wish I had done something, anything different.

She never said a word to me, just stared. Her tears had dried, Romelle drawing on the inner strength she had told me women of Pollux possessed. She would use that strength now to keep from breaking down any further, not wanting to provide any more amusement for the Drules around her. Not many were paying attention to her, too focused on their jobs to keep the ship airborne.

The ship began to return fire, and the effects were devastating. Laser blasted into people and the castle, blasting apart the stonework. The windows of the castle were blown apart, glass shattering inwards. The people in both the courtyard and inside the castle didn't know where to go, both options seemed to promise their death. Lotor let out a satisfied laugh, approaching Romelle to gesture grandly at the destruction below us.

"Look at it Romelle!" He sounded smug. "There will be nothing left of your home, your kingdom, when Doom is through!" She didn't react, continuing to stare at me. I felt Lotor's gaze added to her own, the prince becoming annoyed. "Yes, I'm sure Sabbath is a fascinating sight to behold. But he can't compare to the carnage below us! And it won't just be the castle that suffers! All of Pollux, ALL of it, will be wiped off the universe this day!"

That got Romelle's attention, she turned to look at him, eyes narrowed with hate. "I'm sure you can understand what's going on...of the situation you find yourself in." He stepped closer to her, his hand reaching to do a gentle caress of her cheek. It was at odds with his words, and the malicious enjoyment he expressed. "Pollux will be no more...Arus will fall, and Avok? He will continue to conquer new worlds for the Doom Empire."

"Stop it..." Romelle words were quiet, but no less forceful, the girl every inch a princess as she commanded Lotor. "Stop this at once!"

"Even if I WANTED to oblige you, I'm afraid it's all out of my hands." Lotor didn't even try to sound apologetic. "King Zarkon has made his decision. Pollus is to be destroyed."

"Why!" Romelle demanded. "We were allies! We gave you Avok!"

"And you were all so very stupid to have done that!" Lotor retorted. Romelle jerked away from his hand, but she had nowhere to go, surrounded by enemies. "Only a fool like your father would believe the Doom Empire would share power. That we would be content to split up worlds to satisfy some piss poor planet whose only contribution to our efforts is ONE robeast!"

"I have to thank you for that Romelle." Haggar spoke up, her blue cat Coba resting in her arms. It was General Mogor who had retrieved the feline, bringing him onboard the ship. Haggar would have thrown a tantrum otherwise, refusing to leave without her precious familiar. "What do they feed the boys on Pollux to make them so strong and viable a robeast?"

As if in answer, we heard Avok roar. He was fighting Voltron once more, the two on the plains that surrounded the castle. They were wrestling once more, kicking and shoving at one another. Lotor scowled, and shook his head. "Not strong enough if he can't defeat Voltron after all this time!"

Star cutters continued to circle the two giants, shooting lasers down on them. They must have felt like insects, harmless but annoying. Occasionally, Avok would pull apart from Voltron long enough to swat at one. But his focus was on Voltron, the robot still struggling to put an end to Avok.

Even without Avok free to run a rampage on the planet Pollux, the world was in dire straits. All over the planet, over every city and town were the ships of the Doom armada. The order to attack had come not long after Lotor had boarded the flag ship, the call to arms being raised all over the planet. The remains of the Polluxian's military was fighting back, but they were pitiful in numbers.

"We will fight you." Romelle was saying. Lotor laughed again, amused by her words. "Pollux will not be content to just fade into oblivion!"

"I'm sure that is true. But ultimately the fight will prove futile." He nodded at Mogor then. "Put it up on the view screen. Let the princess see what is happening all over her beloved planet."

"Yes, sire!" Mogor roused the ship's technicians into action, the view screen splitting into several smaller scenes. One window kept a focus on the battling giants, but the others showed the fighting that was taking place over several of the major cities of the planet. Their skies were filled with ships, both from Doom and Pollux. Lasers were everywhere, the ships trying to do damage to one another. And Doom's side was dropping bombs onto the cities during all this.

Romelle was outraged and horrified, all but snarling a command to Lotor. "Stop this you monster!"

"Isn''t it a beautiful sight Romelle?" Lotor asked her instead. "To see your people fighting so valiantly for survival?"

"What purpose does it serve to wipe us out?" She demanded. "We have done nothing to you...We honored the alliance!"

"Oh yes...that's right." He looked at me now. "She doesn't know, does she?"

Romelle followed his gaze, looking at me now. I could scarcely meet her eyes, so ashamed and saddened by what was happening to her. "What does he mean?" She asked. "What do you know?"

"Do you want to tell her, or should I?" Lotor asked, a sly smirk on his face. I didn't know if I could lessen the blow by telling her of her father's betrayal instead of the prince, but knew Lotor would relish every minute of her horror.

"It was the King." I said at last. "Cova had his own betrayal in mind."

"What? no! My father was honest!"

Lotor laughed at that, snickering meanly. "Your father was a liar, and a back stabber. Not to mention greedy and lusting for power. He truly lived up to Pollux's reputation of evil."

She whirled around to glare back at Lotor, and I could see she was shaking with barely controlled fury. "My people are not evil. Not like you! Not like the Drules!"

"Oh? Then what would you call Cova's desire to rule the known universe? Hmm? He wanted to kill my father, and take over the Doom Empire. To use it to further his own worldly ambitions."

Romelle was quiet a moment, thinking it over. "I don't believe you!" She finally said. "And even if it was true, to condemn an entire planet of people for one man's actions...it is wrong!"

"No more wrong than trying to enslave Arus." Lotor countered. "We're all dirty in this Romelle. Even you, for going along meekly with your family's plans for Arus!"

"No, I..."

"You stood by, content to watch what happened. Did you even try to change your father's mind?" Lotor asked, and I spoke up.

"That's enough prince." My voice was quiet but firm. It earned me a sour look from Lotor.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it Romelle?" Lotor couldn't resist taunting her one last time. A glance at Romelle showed how upset she was, blue eyes full of pain and worry.

"Why destroy Pollux?" She wasn't content to let this drop. "Why not add it to your empire...?"

"As if we'd want this miserable rock!" grumbled Lotor in reply. "It's worthless, absolutely worthless!"

"The planet may not have much value..." began Haggar, a speculative look in her eyes. "But I'm sure some of the men would be worth the trouble of taking back to Doom."

"More robeasts witch?" Lotor asked with a sigh. She just cackled in response. "I am not convinced these humans make good robeasts. Look at all the trouble Avok continues to have with Voltron!"

The two giants were trading punches, each one seeming to grow more vicious. Avok's face was wet with blood, rivers of it streaming down from his nostrils, and the corner of his mouth. He was at the disadvantage here, he could feel the pain of the punches, could grow tired from this fight. The robot had no such problem, being unfeeling metal. We knew from experience the pilots could be made to feel pain from certain types of attacks, but Avok wasn't doing anything that could hurt them at the moment.

Avok roared in pain, and pulled back his arm, punching Voltron in the face. It didn't even stagger the robot, Voltron returning the punch in a rapid two strike assault. Avok stumbled back, dazed and Voltron followed up by kneeing him in the stomach. When the robeast hunched forward, Voltron smashed it's fists onto the top of Avok's head. It wasn't enough to bludgeon the robeast to death, but it cost him all the same.

Avok was faltering, anyone could see it. I heard Romelle whisper out a no. She was as frozen as the rest of us, watching the battle. Voltron was pressing the advantage, pummeling Avok again and again, mainly in the face. I couldn't even begin to imagine what sort of damage to his skull had been done from that kind of abuse. Voltron stepped back, and lifted it's arms, green and red lion's mouths opening. Wind and fire shot out of them, the flames setting Avok on fire, the wind battering him about.

While Avok struggled with the elemental attacks of Voltron, the robot ran past him, rushing to retrieve blazing sword. Avok would continue to be distracted by the flames licking at his skin, never suspecting the danger that approached his back. Blazing sword seemed to glow, a white light coursing along it's blade as Voltron lunged forward. The lion heads all roared in victory, blazing sword being slashed in a diagonal arc across Avok's back.

Blood erupted, coating the blade and the robot. Romelle screamed when Avok fell face first to the ground. He was not moving, not even twitching in death throes, so complete was his murder. He would not be getting up ever again, and when that became apparent, Romelle dropped to her knees, her hands over her mouth. She had just witnessed the murder of what was the last remaining member of her immediate family.

"Avok! Avok, no!"

"Useless!" Lotor muttered, pounding a fist on a computer console. "Mogor, get us out of here."

"Yes, your highness." Mogor said, and started barking out orders. "You heard the prince. Divert all power to the shields and engines, we are to take off for Doom at once!"

We stopped firing on the castle, and began speeding upwards, clouds streaming past us. We would get the shock of our lives when Voltron gave pursuit, the robot not so damaged that it couldn't fly fast enough to catch up to us. Someone panicked, dropping a bombardment of missiles on Voltron's head. The robot deftly dodged those, and continued to come after us.

None of us were sure of Voltron's intent. It left us unprepared for what happened next, Voltron latching onto the side of the flag ship. The ship slowed down, the robot's weight impeding our escape. And then it happened, Voltron punching a hole into the side of the ship. I saw red lion's head resting inside the hole. Drules were shouting, and running about, though a few opened fire on red lion. Not that it would do much good, those pitiful hand blaster's didn't have a charge strong enough to do damage to the robot.

"What are they doing?" Lotor screamed in absolute fury as green lion punched a second hole into the ship. "Don't they know we have the princess Romelle as our hostage here?"

"I don't think they care sire." Mogor said from behind him. He looked nervous, and I'm sure he thought if Voltron didn't kill us, Lotor would!

Red lion pulled back, and went to punch a third hole into the ship. The fierce wind howled, rustling our clothing. Everyone was running about, abandoning the command deck to take off for the escape pods. I knew we had to do the same.

"Prince Lotor, we must leave now!"

"I know that you fool!" growled Lotor, and he grabbed Romelle's hand. "You're coming with us!"

"NO!" She shrieked, fighting him even as he hauled her up off her knees. "Leave me be!"

"You'll die if you remain here!" Lotor growled at her, surely not understanding that at this point and time that was what Romelle wanted. With her family dead, and her planet in ruins, she surely thought she had nothing to live for. Not even revenge was a great enough motivation for her.

Lotor snarled with wordless fury as he threw Romelle over his shoulder. She screamed and kicked out her legs, beating her fists on his back as he ran down to the corridor that would lead off the command deck. Haggar was already ahead of him, walking surprisingly fast for one of her age. She clutched Coba to her, not wanting to lose her familiar. General Mogor and I would bring up the rear, running off the deck just as an explosion occurred behind us.

"Shit, that was close!" exclaimed the General, not slowing to look at the damage.

"We're not out of danger yet!" I retorted, feeling the heat of flames behind me.

"Cut the chit chat, and let's move!" Lotor snapped, then grunted as Romelle pulled on his hair.

"I hate you!" She was snarling. "Let me die!"

"You're not going to die!" Lotor told her, slapping a hand on her ass as if that would control her. It just made her grow more wild, Romelle shrieking and fighting harder. She would continue like this all the way to the escape pod, Lotor throwing her into one of the seats. She'd continue to beat her fists against his chest, even as he tried to strap her into her seat.

Lotor showed a remarkable amount of patience then. I was surprised he didn't try to slap her in response to her continued abuse of him. He managed to secure her seat belt, and take the chair next to her. She immediately set about trying to get the belt's fastening open, though I don't know what she thought she would do next. She probably wasn't thinking much at all, Lotor reaching over to grab her wrists, and hold her hands captive in his grip.

Mogor would take off to the front of the pod, firing up the flight mechanisms. I had barely buckled myself into a seat across from Lotor and Romelle, when the pod took off. It ejected from the flag ship with violent force, causing us all to hit the back of our cushioned seats. Haggar's cat yowled in protest, it's hackles raised as the witch held onto him for dear life.

"It's all right kitty..." She was whispering to him. "I don't like this situation any more than you do..."

"I hope we all die!" snapped Romelle, still struggling with Lotor.

"That's not going to happen." Lotor retorted, sounding more tired than satisfied. "We're going to leave here and get to Doom. One way or another!"

I turned away then, to look out one of the round port side windows built into the pod. There were other escape pods flying around us, leaving Voltron with no way to know which one held Lotor. After the way Voltron had attacked the flag ship, I was uneasy, expecting them to start batting escape pods out of the sky. But they didn't, too focused on tearing apart the remains of the larger vessel.

The sight of that wrecked ship made me shiver, and I wondered if everyone had managed to evacuate that vessel in time. Probably not, I thought, counting the number of escape pods in the sky. We were nearly twenty short of the full number, so many lives wasted. Of both Drules and humans, this whole attack on Pollux seeming senseless. In the end, we had accomplished nothing, the planet damage but recoverable. And all thanks to Voltron, the mighty robot taking off to help the planet Pollux's military fight off the Doom armada.

We had nothing to show for our efforts, ships, soldiers, and resources wasted. It was a total defeat, our betrayal of Pollux accomplishing what the two princesses had hope for. Peace between their planets, Arus and Pollux entering into an alliance. That alliance would cause no end of trouble for Doom. And though Pollux's military was small, they were determined and resourceful, driven by the need to revenge themselves on Doom. We didn't know it yet, but the betrayal of Pollux would prove to be the biggest blunder Doom could have made.

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Feli3, aw thanks! And I agree. A more grown up version of Voltron would be awesome. :) I watched the Romelle eps so many times to try and get the details right. Course I added to the fight scene, cause I felt for a robeast as hyped up as Avok was, it would be a shame to stick to how quickly the fight ended in the actual show ^^;; I've written ahead of what you're reading...right now I'm trying to make sense of the Omega Comet eps...makes me glad I don't have to deal with the Space Goddess part of the episode, since obviosuly that happens out of Sabbath's point of view. I watched the Go Lion version this weekend too. Just the Amue/Romelle episodes. It's fascinating to see the differances in those eps. It even got me thinking of a plot bunny for a different Romelle Lotor story, but I want to finish Songbird first before I try the idea. ^^''

Yes, Sabbath is caught between a rock and a hard place. It will only get worse for him as he gets disillusioned with Doom, and protests Romelles' treatment. We're still a few chapters away, but the most brutal chapter in my opnion is I believe twenty one. I'm nervous to post that one!


	14. Chapter 14

It would take a few hours before our escape pod was picked up by one of the ships that made up the Doom armada. Even with Voltron and the Polluxian military joining forces, the Drule ships were slow to retreat. They hadn't gotten word that the flag ship had been destroyed, their leaders on the run. If anything, many of the ships assumed all was going according to plan. At least until Voltron appeared on the horizon of that first city, and immediately set about to attacking the Drule ships.

Word had quickly begun to spread all over the planet Pollux, but the ships couldn't just leave. Not while they were actively engaged with Pollux's military. It would take time for them to cut a path to their escape, and not all the ships would make it off the planet. Pollux would become a grave yard for many a Drule solider. But not for Lotor, the prince survived without a scratch on him.

He was bloody though, covered in the red liquid of those he had killed. That included Romelle's father, Cova having died a most violent death. I wondered if Lotor couldn't have found a better way. Certainly he could have done with causing such trauma to Romelle. She'd be haunted by the scenes in the courtyard, her future filled with nightmares that taunted her with the way her father had been killed before her.

She really was strong, enduring things that would have made a lesser mind, woman OR man, snap. Even at her lowest, when she yearned for death, Romelle still retained her wits about her. She fought, and she threatened, exasperating Lotor to the point he lost interest in tormenting her. At least for the moment, the prince ordering her to be put in a holding cell. There she would wait, all but forgotten as Lotor tried to take stock of the situation.

He was agitated, anyone could see that. He actually took to pacing the floor of the command deck, and many studiously avoided looking his way. His glare was malicious, Lotor quick to lose temper over the slightest thing. More than one Drule had been beheaded for some small slight. To worsen matters, Lotor kept touching his sword's pommel, fingers tense as though he would draw it at any moment.

"Haggar! How could you make such an inferior robeast?" Lotor snarled, his gaze having landed on the witch. She had her crystal ball in hand, Coba sitting on her lap. The blue cat had not calmed down from our flight inside the escape pod, actually kneading his paws in an anxious manner on the coarse wool of Haggar's robe.

"There was no fault in my magic or in Avok." Haggar's voice was calm. She might be the only one who could manage such a tranquil expression, knowing she was safe from Lotor's fury. "It is that robot Voltron. It simply proved to be stronger than the robeast. Do not worry sire...I am learning from these battles. Soon, soon I will be able to make a robeast that will be Voltron's equal."

"We don't need it to be it's equal, we need one that is it's better!" growled Lotor. "You promised that Avok was your best robeast yet!"

"And he was!" Haggar quickly assured him. "He was faster, stronger..."

"And easily distracted." Grumbled Lotor. "He was more brawn than brain!"

"A robeast that can think for itself is dangerous." Haggar protested. "We run the risk of it turning against our ships..."

"Hmph!"

"At least you have the princess sire." The witch continued. But she didn't sound happy about that. "It's not a total loss..."

"My father won't see it that way." Lotor grumbled. He had yet to contact the home world, Lotor not wanting to inform Zarkon that Doom had been handed another loss. It was especially demoralizing when you consider the size of the armada we had brought with us, the amount of ships and soldiers we had lost in this battle. The King would not be pleased, and I didn't look forward to the reprimands and punishments he would deal out to us.

There was one good thing that came out of our defeat. And that was the fact that it left Lotor too distracted to bother princess Romelle. How could he think of seduction when he had his father to worry about? The wrath of King Zarkon is a fear inspiring threat, not even Lotor was immune to it's power.

Lotor would be busy, spending much of the journey back to planet Doom trying to think up a way to spin a positive from our defeat. His very neck might be on the line, and he would strive to save it. And if by some chance he could not, he would drag us all down with him. It made all three of us anxious, Mogor, Haggar and I working to offer him up suggestions. Or at least try to paint the bright side of things as far as the debacle of planet Pollux was concerned.

"At least the King is dead." Mogor spoke up. His voice turned uncertain when Lotor turned his way, the General trying not to cower from the prince's glare. "You killed him with your own sword. That has to count for something...right?"

"My father wanted the entire planet wiped out." Lotor reminded us then. "I hardly think he will be appeased by the few deaths we caused, even if we have left that planet leaderless."

"It wasn't just a few deaths." Haggar protested, her hand moving in smooth strokes along Coba's back. "Our estimation has put the number at nearly one hundred thousand humans dead. That is hardly insignificant." Lotor frowned at her, hardly reassured. "We did our best." The witch continued. "We used what resources were available to us. It is not our fault that Avok proved no match for Voltron."

"Isn't it?" Lotor demanded. "We believed Cova and his family's claims that Avok would make a peerless robeast. My father would say we had been gullible..."

"No more than King Zarkon was." Haggar said, to gasps all around her. It was practically blasphemy she spoke of now, the witch calm as she continued to pet her cat. "He too bought into the lies the Polluxians told us. He too was overcome by the sheer confidence the royal family had in their prince."

"My father will never agree to share the blame in this, and you know it, witch!" Lotor snarled, angry again. "A lot of time, money, and man power went into this operation...and you know how he hates to waste resources!"

"It's not a complete waste..." Haggar insisted. "It was a valuable learning experience. The data I collected on Voltron, and from it's fight with Avok..."

"The data is useless until you start producing results! Ones that favor Doom!" Lotor snapped, then turned to snarl at the soldier who drew near to him. "WHAT? What is it?"

"Prince Lotor, sire..." The soldier did a hasty bow, sweating profusely. "There is an incoming message.."

Lotor instantly stiffened with displeasure. "From my father?"

"No sire. It's from Pollux..."

"From Pollux? What could they possibly have to say to us?" Mogor asked what we all were wondering, Lotor growling.

"I don't have time to listen to their pathetic whining."

"Then I shall have them cut short Prince Bandor's transmission?" wondered the soldier. We all reacted, no one expecting to hear from who we had assumed was a dead boy.

"Prince Bandor you say?" Lotor demanded, and the soldier nodded. "How the hell did he survive?" We were all shrugging and shaking our heads, not having to feign ignorance. I knew then that the fate for the soldier who had claimed credit for taking down Bandor wouldn't be pretty. You didn't disappoint King Zarkon or Prince Lotor. Not if you wanted to live.

"Tell him he can go to Hell!" decided the prince, and Haggar quickly spoke up.

"Let's not be too hasty my prince. We may be able to use the child's love for his sister to our advantage."

"What do you mean?" Lotor asked, and Haggar grinned.

"He is but a boy...not even a man yet. He has just lost his father and brother...he will be desperate to hang onto any family he has left. Especially an older, adored sister."

"So taking Romelle may have been to our advantage after all.." Mused Mogor, than flinched when Lotor glared at him. "I just meant that she might make a difference, that she might matter after all..."

"She's always mattered." Lotor snapped. and Haggar laughed. "She's mattered to ME."

"That's all well and good sire." Said the witch. "But personal feelings aside, Romelle did not have much value. But that may have changed. Speak to Bandor...see how foolish and vulnerable his despairing heart makes him now."

"Very well." Lotor sighed, then nodded at the soldier. "Put the call through."

"Yes, your highness." The soldier scurried off, quick to find a technician capable of handling Lotor's request.

"I won't hand over Romelle to him." Lotor warned the witch. "No matter what he tries to offer, or threaten us with."

"Of course sire." Haggar soothed. "But Bandor does not need to know that. As long as he has the hope of Romelle's return, we may be able to make him our puppet."

"For all the good that will do." Grumbled Lotor. He turned towards the front of the deck, looking at the large view screen that took up the size of one wall from floor to ceiling. The image that was currently wavering on the screen, was that of the space around us, planet Pollux a distant blob. Hundreds of Drule war vessels surrounded us, many bearing scarring from the fighting they had engaged in.

We were moving at a steady clip, just short of our top most speed as we scurried back to Doom. We were all eager to leave the memory of Pollux behind us. Even if we would get a less than favorable welcome from the home world upon our return. Doom did not celebrate losses, did not care that much about those that survived a battle gone horribly wrong.

The image on the view screen continued to waver, the scenery blurring as it was replaced with the picture of a room. I recognized it as the command center of the castle on Pollux, one of the many places Romelle had shown me during our tour of her home. Prince Bandor was standing, surrounded by soldiers who had survived the massacre. The young prince looked angry, but also in good health. He didn't even have blood on his clothes, making me wonder just where the Drule's blast had hit him.

"Ah Bandor." Lotor left out all inflection to his voice, not betraying any of the anger he had displayed just seconds ago. "You survived."

"No, thanks to you and your soldiers!" Bandor all but snarled back at Lotor. He looked to be shaking with his anger, his hands forming fists as he glared at us. I wondered if he had noticed the blood on Lotor, if he realized that some of it was his own father's. "How could you do this to us? We had an alliance!"

"Did we now?" Lotor questioned, then smirked. "I don't recall there ever being a formal agreement. We certainly never made any binding contracts. Very foolish of your father, the late King Cova, neglecting to insist on the proper paperwork."

Bandor didn't seem to know what to say to that, sputtering impotently. One of the soldiers placed their hand on his right shoulder, trying to calm him down. "So what you're saying is that a Drule's word is not good enough. That none of you are trustworthy."

"I'd say we are about as trustworthy as you, Polluxians."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Bandor demanded.

"Just that your King, your father, planned to betray Doom. I dare say we are even in foul deeds." Lotor laughed then at the look on Bandor's face, his eyes widening slightly. "Oh don't act so shocked, young highness. I'm sure even you had to have some idea that your father's ambitions ran deeper than just invading Arus. Why else would he be so eager to sacrifice his own flesh and blood to become a robeast? Hmm?"

"I...that is...father..." Bandor was shaking his head no, seeming incapable of speech. "You lie!"

"Do I now?" Lotor asked. "Well, I suppose if that comforts you more than the truth. And it's not as if we can question Cova. After all, dead man tell no tales."

"Bastard!"

"Such language! What do they teach boys on Pollux?" tittered Haggar.

"You killed him! And not just him!"

"If you're here simply to tell me what I already know, then I'm afraid this call is at an end." Lotor started to make a signal to cut the transmission off, when Bandor screamed.

"Wait!"

"Yes?" We all were staring at the young prince, some of us breathless with anticipation.

"My sister.." Bandor's tone was gruff, he was trying to be brave. "I want her back."

"I've no doubt of that." Lotor said. "She is a charming, delightful girl. Surely you need her now more than ever."

"A young prince, with little experience with what it means to be King..." Haggar was adding her own two cents to the conversation. "You need her guidance, need her to help you become the kind of man capable of ruling your planet..."

"I don't care about ruling!" Bandor snapped. "I just want my sister back!" he paused, then added in a plaintive voice. "She's the only family I have left." And didn't we all know that! In fact Lotor and Haggar were counting on Bandor being willing to do anything to get his sister back.

"That is a pity." Lotor said, feigning a sigh.

"Pity? Why would you use such a word?" Bandor was bothered by Lotor's words.

"Because that is what it is." Lotor told him. "Romelle is valuable to both of us. And I'm not about to give her up without proper compensation."

"What KIND of compensation?" Bandor demanded, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Well, to start with, you can end any and all association with Arus."

"With Arus?" Bandor repeated, and Lotor nodded.

"Do not try to play me for a fool. I know your military worked wtih Voltron to fight off my armada. But Bandor, it goes no further than this! Not if you want Romelle to remain unharmed."

"That's not all you would have me do, is there?" Bandor asked, his eyes flashing with emotion. "What else would you force me to do?"

"You catch on quick." Lotor nodded in approval.

"Save the backhanded praise, and just tell me!" Bandor ordered. Lotor paused, needing a moment to think it out.

"You stand poised on the verge of making an alliance with Arus...we can use that to our advantage. Yes.." Lotor smiled, pure pleasure in that expression. "You will lure them into talks with you. It matters not where. Just so long as you can position your soldiers to capture Allura, and kill the other members of the Voltron force." Bandor looked shocked at that, making me wonder if he had his fill of killing. "It should be easy for you after all. Deception runs in your family's blood...what's one more betrayal when your sister's safety depends on it?"

"I...I couldn't do that.." Bandor began, and Lotor shrugged.

"It matters not to me. I will have Arus one way or another. And in the meantime, Romelle will make a fitting distraction."

"What do you mean by that?" Bandor asked, and laughter erupted from many of the Drules. It was crude and lecherous, disturbing to hear, even if one was as innocent as Bandor appeared to be. "You leave my sister alone!"

"I'm not at all sorry to tell you this, but you don't give the orders here. I do." Lotor was pleased to say that, smirking deeply. "You will personally capture the princess, and hand me Arus...and maybe, just maybe I will consider giving you back Romelle."

"You really are scum." Bandor surprised us all with that statement. "You have no intention of giving her back, do you? You will just continue to make demands, until Pollux is all used up. And then what? You'll kill us?"

Bandor was proving to be quite smart with his guesses, a fact that displeased Lotor. "You'll just have to take that risk!" growled Lotor.

"No, I don't think so." Bandor said. He looked like he was struggling with what he had to say, fighting not to break down into tears. "Tell my sister I love her. But the fate of one person does not outweigh the needs of many. Avok taught us both that."

"Don't be so hasty, young prince!" Haggar called out, sounding a bit desperate. "Take a moment to think on it...call us back with your decision."

Bandor looked at her a long moment, and then was making his own, rude gesture. The transmission then ended, the image of Bandor and his soldiers being replaced with that of the ships that surrounded ours. A glance Haggar's way showed how shocked she was by Bandor's behavior, the witch shaking her head and mutering things about how rude the boys on Pollux were.

"Well, witch? What did that serve to accomplish?" Lotor demanded, striding over to her. "If anything, I'm sure this just strengthen his determination to make a lasting alliance with Arus!"

"Maybe, maybe not..." Haggar retorted, hardly fazed by Lotor's nearness. "It won't matter, even if they do join forces. Pollux is pathetic when it comes to military might...they won't even make a ripple in the galaxy's ocean."

"They better not." Lotor grumbled. "We've really screwed up big time." He added. "My father will be furious about this alliance between Arus and Pollux."

"Let him be." Haggar said. "I'm sure a case can be made, to prove how disadvantageous to Arus Pollux will prove to be. After all..." Her voice took on a sickening sweet tone, Haggar resuming stroking Coba. "Arus will now be obligated to lend a hand to Pollux. If we concentrate on both worlds, Arus will have to divide it's forces...all to uphold the alliance with it's neighbor..."

"Hmph." Lotor was hardly impressed with her reasoning.

"Arus has always had a history of running to it's neighbor's defense. Pollux should prove no different."

"It better not witch, it better not!" Lotor growled threateningly. Haggar didn't so much as blink in response to his growl, the witch instead bending over her lap so that Coba could rub his face against hers. Lotor stared at her a moment longer, before turning away in disgust. It wasn't just the witch he was exasperated with. It was all of us, and the situation, Lotor fed up and knowing there was nothing he could do to change what had happened. He couldn't know it then, but he might have made things a lot easier on himself if he had just given Romelle back to Bandor when asked.

To Be Continued!

Michelle

Wade Wells, welcome back! Thanks for the fic love. :)


	15. Chapter 15

Lotor wouldn't keep us his captive audience forever. Eventually he would tire of listening to us, of hearing the excuses and suggestions we tried to come up with for him. He really didn't appreciate any of what we had to say, and our words seemed only to agitate him all the more. It wasn't a surprise to me when he dismissed us from his sight with Doom but an hour away from us. He told us he was sick of seeing our faces, the prince wandering down to the ship's onboard gymnasium. It was there that Lotor would worked off some of his nervous energy, beating up plenty of soldiers who were foolish enough to agree to fight with him.

I knew better than to challenge Lotor when he was in such a mood. My face still bore the bruises from the fight of a few days ago, along with a fresh one Lotor had given me just hours ago. And all because I had interfered with his pursuit of Romelle. I didn't regret that bruise, ready to wear it like a badge of honor, and all because I had earned it defending Romelle.

I still found myself wishing I could have done something, anything to make what was happening easier on the girl. But I was of the opinion that my options were limited, and I still retained my loyalty to Doom. That loyalty left me twisted up inside, and all because of the bond I had formed with Romelle. I didn't want to acknowledge that I was feeling a similar loyalty to her, one that had me struggling with every action I took.

I wasn't yet prepared to do anything too extreme. I was as much a coward as I was foolish, trying to somehow play both sides and come away unscathed. But there was no way to appease both Romelle and my Empire, and more often than not, it was the princess who suffered for my indecisiveness. When I think back on those days, I feel ashamed, wishing I had done things differently. I should have taken her, and tried to escape Lotor's grasp. It might have been better if I had acted, even if it ended in our deaths.

But no matter how much I wished for something, I cannot change the past. I could only try to make the present bearable, and it was with that thought that I found myself walking to the lower levels. A tray was in my hands, laden down with all manners of food from the commissary. I knew no one would have thought to have fed Romelle, the girl being ignored as per Lotors' orders. The soldiers weren't allowed to touch her, and as such they had little concern with her. She was off limits to all, Lotor's precious fiancee.

Yes, even then he hoped to marry her. Even with the disappointments of the screw up at Pollux, and her violent behavior during her capture, he still wanted her. Lotor held a desire for the princess that almost rivaled his lust for Allura of Arus. Some would say this obsession with Romelle made him delusional. Others might say he was always crazy where women were concerned.

I was of the former opinion, wondering how Lotor thought to make a relationship work with Romelle after he had killed her father right before her. But then I suppose Lotor thought there wasn't much difference between a pleasure slave and a wife. Both could be owned, and both would have the same expectations placed on them. He probably saw nothing beyond Romelle's beauty, and her regal bearing, thinking she would make a suitable trophy as his wife.

He didn't give much thought to her own feelings about the matter, Lotor serious when he said she would learn to love him or spend her life miserable. He really thought it as simple as that, Romelle having to choose between two evils. He wouldn't understand that to Romelle she'd rather spend her life tormenting Lotor, fighting him, refusing to give him a victory by loving him.

Lotor would never understand why Romelle could be so vengeance driven towards him, the prince actually assuming he was an attractive package. He didn't understand that his handsome looks mattered little in the long run, that Romelle and Allura could see the true ugliness of his inside character. He thought they would be thrilled by the honor to become his wives, to one day become the Queens of the Doom Empire. He'd never understand that to a princess as good and pure hearted as Romelle and Allura, that title would carry nothing but shame to it.

Those who were peace loving never liked nor wanted to do anything with the Doom Empire. I was sure Romelle was regretting her family's involvement with Doom, wishing they had tried for peace rather than conquest. Maybe then her father and brother would still be alive, and Pollux wouldn't be so badly scarred from the attacks of the Drule armada.

She wouldn't even know the extent of the damage done, Lotor keeping her isolated and oblivious of all information regarding Pollux. I was here to change all that, going against my prince's orders to satisfy Romelle's needs for information. I was nervous though, almost scared to face her. I knew she would look at me with those beautiful blues eyes, eyes that would be haunted by the many betrayals she had suffered through.

Just the thought of Romelle looking at me in that way, was almost enough to get me to turn back. I tightened my grip on the tray, steeling my nerves as I continued to walk down the staircase that led into the area where the holding cells were kept. There was one lonely soldier standing before the door that separated the cells from the rest of the ship. He looked surprised to see me, his gaze casting downwards to note the tray I carried with me.

"Commander Sabbath...what...what brings you here?" He asked me, almost forgetting to salute me.

"I'm here to see the prisoner." I said quietly.

"You mean the princess...?" I nodded, and the soldier frowned. "Lotor has said she is not to have any visitors. Not until she calms down."

"She will be calm for me." I feigned confidence, thinking Romelle could react in a numerous amount of ways to the sight of me. The soldier didn't look any more confidant than I felt, hesitating.

"She's just finally settled down somewhat." The soldier confided. "The screams don't come so often."

I was unsettled to hear that, wondering how hysterical Romelle had gotten when they shoved her into a cell. "Open the door soldier."

"I...I really don't think this is a good idea." He told me. But he was digging out the key card out of his pocket. "She is difficult to manage..."

"What is the worse she could do?" I inquired with a bland smile. "She is behind bars, trapped on a Doom ship, with hundreds of Drule soldiers between here and her freedom."

When put that way, it seemed silly to take seriously any warnings. The soldier sighed, his manner radiating disapproval as he unlocked the sliding door. I walked past him, and he moved to follow me. "I will speak with her alone."

Again a hesitation, the soldier frowning. "His highness won't like this..."

"His highness knows to trust me." I retorted, and pushed the soldier back out the door. A grumble was heard, the soldier reluctantly acquiescing to my demand. The door slid shut behind me, leaving me to the privacy of the holding cells. There was six in all, and five of them were empty. Romelle was currently the only prisoner onboard the ship.

She was also in the cell furthest from the door, Romelle not bothering to look up at the sound of my approaching footsteps. I found her sitting on the floor, body hunched over. Her hair fell forward, obscuring my view of her face. Her dress was still bloody on the front of her skirts, but it had dried to that flaky stage. There was fresher blood on the floor near the bars, and I felt alarmed to see it. I would discover she had been beating her fists on the bars, to the point her knuckles bruised, her hands starting to grow bloody from the continual abuse.

It immediately made me open the cell's door, I was setting the tray down on the cot that hung suspended off the floor. The food could wait, I wanted to check on Romelle's injuries. "Romelle." I whispered her name, my voice so soft and hoarse. I was trying to coax her to look at me, even as I reached for one of her wrists. I had no first aid kit on me, and yet I wanted to at least assess the damage she had done.

My touch was what triggered the attack, Romelle screaming, her own voice weakened from her earlier shouts. Hoarse sounding, and looking wild, she reared up, trying to slap her hands across my face. I endured those blows, they weren't enough to shock me, and I grappled with her, trying to hold onto her wrists. She struggled, and uncoiled from her crouch, trying to knee me between my legs.

"Romelle, stop this at once!" I barked at her. It took no effort at all for me to overpower her, pinning her on her back beneath me. She looked up at me, startled, and then recognition hit her.

"Sabbath!"

I nodded at her, but didn't relax my hold on her wrists. Instead I raised her hands up towards my face, trying not to hiss at how bloody the back of them was. "Look at you..." I tsked. "Those bars are steel, there was no way you would have been able to break them down. You've only succeeded in hurting yourself..."

Romelle didn't look like she cared. She tried to jerk her hands free of me, but I held on. "Sabbath...how could you?" She asked me, and I tried not to stiffen. "How could you betray me like that?" I said nothing, slowly letting go of her, cautious as I backed off of her. "Was the witch speaking true? Was our friendship nothing but a lie?"

I wasn't sure how to answer that. I didn't think the friendship we had been developing had been nothing but a deception. I liked, even respected the girl. But I was also loyal to my people, to the point I had kept quiet to Romelle about Lotor and Zarkon's plans for her people. Maybe the perceived friendship was both lie and truth, something that existed in the shadows between them.

"It's...it's difficult to categorize." I said at last. "But yes...I would say our friendship was real."

"Was?" A questioning look from her, Romelle searching my face for something. Maybe she was looking for comfort, or the understanding of just what had gone down between Pollux and Doom.

"I don't expect you to want to continue to be friends with me." I finally said, and turned away. I was trusting her to stay put, to not attack my back as I moved to fetch the water I had brought with me. I gathered a few napkins as well, then returned to her side, kneeling besides Romelle "Not after all that's happened..."

She thought about that. I began to dab the water onto the napkins, setting out to wash the blood off her hands. I was gentle, and still she hissed in pain, trying to draw back from me. My hand immediately fastened around her wrist, holding her steady as I cleaned her wounds.

"Is it true what Lotor said?" She growled out the prince's name, hate in her eyes. "About my father planning to betray the alliance?"

"I'm afraid it's true..." I sighed then, keeping my gaze adhered to her hands. What little I had seen of her eyes, had shown how hurt she felt. It was the kind of hurt that had nothing to do with her hands' injury, and everything to do with what I, what Doom had done to her.

"How...how could you know that?" Romelle demanded. "Did Lotor have any proof, or was this all just some stupid hunch of his?"

"It was more than a hunch." I answered. Her right hand was almost clean, though I was betting her skin would need some cream to fight off infection. "We had a spy present in the castle...he saw everything..." I wasn't about to try and explain that spy had been a cat, it's eyes magically attuned to Haggar's crystal ball.

"He could have been mistaken..." Romelle protested, but it was feeble. She didn't seem to have the heart to try and sound convincing, sagging in place as I took hold of her left hand. "He must have...must have misunderstood. People can make mistakes...they do so all the time..."

"Not this time." I told her. "We saw the footage of your father plotting with his advisors. Of him gloating over his plans to kill Zarkon, and take over the universe. He lusted for power Romelle, he wanted more than just Arus under his control."

"N...No...you are mistaken."

"I saw it with my own eyes! Heard him with my own ears!" I told her, and made the mistake of looking at her. She was gazing at me horrified, shaking her head no repeatedly.

"The footage could have been altered...it could have been a trick Lotor and Haggar showed you..."

"Why would they bother?" My question stumped her, Romelle glancing down at her lap. She had no easy answer for that, just enduring as I tended to her left hand. "What purpose would it serve? They would not need to convince me of Cova's deception...I am just a soldier in the Empire, sworn to do my King's bidding."

She continued to say nothing, and soon her hand was clean. I dropped it, and proceeded to tear off strips off my uniform's shirt. She seemed to flinch at the sound, but did not try to back away from me. It was when I began to wind the strips around her hands, that she broke the silence. "You're very loyal to the Empire, aren't you?" It was my turn to be silent, already I was twisted up inside by that loyalty. "It's not a good thing though! Not if it has you follow orders blindly! Sabbath, don't you see? What they had your people do, it's wrong?"

"Don't you think I know that?" My voice was harsh then. "What else could I do?" I finished binding her hands with the fabric, knowing they would have to suffice as bandages for now.

"You could...could refuse to do their bidding." She said at last, in a small voice.

"Those that don't comply to Doom's orders, end up on a fast track to nowhere." I retorted. "I'd be lucky if all they did was kill me..."

"But you'd have your integrity...your honor!" She pointed out, and I pulled away from her. The sad thing was until Romelle and Pollux, I had never questioned my integrity. I had always thought I was honorable for a Drule, doing the right things for my people. Now I wasn't so sure, and I hated the doubts that filled me. "Sabbath..."

"You should eat." I had walked over to the cot, lifting up the tray. The food was still warm, a pleasant smell filling the holding cell. "You'll need your strength for what is coming."

"What is coming?" She immediately asked, and I hesitated as I placed the tray before her. Romelle picked it up, doing a curious examination of the food I had brought to her. "Sabbath? What do you know. Tell me...!"

"The prince." I finally said, sighing. "He intends to marry you."

"No!" Romelle nearly dropped the tray, staring up at me aghast. "I will not marry that monster!"

"You won't have a choice in this!" It was the truth, but it made it no less unpleasant.

"He killed my father!" Romelle practically growled. "He betrayed my people...there is no way I would ever deign to be his bride! I'd...I'd sooner die!"

I could see that she meant it too, Romelle's eyes blazing with promise of that threat. "You have to live." I told her, and it was then that she flung the tray at me. I tried to dodge it, but some of the food hit me anyway. The hot remains slid down my chest, just short of burning me.

"There is nothing left for me to live for!" She retorted, giving a toss of her head. Her eyes flashed, she looked regal even in her despair. "So take your food, and your false kindness, and be gone from my sight!"

"It's not false! And you're wrong!" I snapped at her, my own eyes surely blazing with determined emotion. "You have plenty to live for!"

She let out a bitter laugh, nearly choking on the sound. "What then? My family is dead, my planet is in shambles...there's no one left to care what happens to me.."

"I care." I told her, then let out an angry breath. "And not just me. Bandor does as well."

"Bandor?" Pain brightened her eyes. "Bandor is dead. I saw him shot down."

So had I, but I had also born witness to Bandor's miraculous recovery. Even now I could picture how angry he was, how hard he tried to be brave, and not give in to tears over the loss of his family. "You're wrong. He survived." Hope refused to blossom on her face, Romelle shaking her head. "He contacted Lotor just hours ago. He appeared to not even have a scratch on him. Your brother is strong, and angry. He wants you back..."

I saw the fear then, Romelle worried her brother would do something foolish. "Don't worry...Lotor tried to manipulate him, but Bandor isn't having any of that." I paused, trying to figure out how much I should tell her about that discussion. "Your brother, he wants you to know he loves you."

"He's not going to come for me, is he?" Romelle asked. I was taken aback by that question.

"Not yet perhaps..." I allowed. "He certainly wasn't going to fall for Lotor's tricks. He said you would understand, mentioned the lesson you had both learned from Avok."

"The good of one person can't outweigh the needs of many." Romelle automatically replied, looking sad. "What did Lotor want him to do?"

"He wanted Bandor to lure the Voltron Force into a position where the princess could be captured, and the others killed. Lotor wouldn't have given you up though. He would have just found more ways to black mail Bandor into doing his bidding."

"My brother is wise not to fall into Lotor's trap." Romelle said.

"Yes, he is." I agreed. "Wiser than his years would lead any of us to believe..."

She look down for a moment, then up again. "He really lives? You're not just making that up to give me false hope? To encourage me to continue living?"

"I wouldn't lie to you about this. I...I may have omitted some things in the past, but I never tried to purposefully lie to you. I...I am sorry for all that has happened..."

A change came over Romelle, she was suddenly drawing to her feet. I stood as well, watching her glare at me. "What good is your sorry?" She demanded. Her hands clenched into fists, she was shaking with fury. "What does sorry get me now?"

I had no answer for her. She was right. All my apologies could not change the past. They might not even be able to change her future. My apologies were all but meaningless as long as I wasn't prepared to act, to do the right things for Romelle.

I looked at her, sad and frustrated in the moment, the food splattered on my shirt. My act of kindness had been rebuffed. She didn't want my sympathy, didn't want my help. She was content to wallow in her misery and anger, and it may have been her right to do just that. I said a sad saying of her name, and turned to leave. I never expected her to call out to me, her voice sounding desperate.

"Sabbath, wait!"

I paused, but did not turn to look at her. Not until her hand hesitantly found it's way to my back. "Yes?" It hurt to look at her, even more than it had earlier. She was struggling with something, seeming to debate it in her head.

"If you really mean it...if you're really my friend...then you'll help me..."

"Help you how?" I had a good idea what she would ask, noting she wasn't above trying to manipulate me to get what she want.

"Help me to escape." Romelle said. "Please...I won't blame you for what happened, if you just get me home..." I didn't speak, just began shaking my head no. Her eyes welled up with tears that threatened to fall at any minute. "Please Sabbath...you have to get me out of here...you have to save me from Lotor!"

"I...I cannot...he is my prince, my Lord..." I should have done as she asked, should have taken any risks to get her to freedom. She began to openly cry, weeping softly as I stepped towards her. Romelle didn't fight me as I touched her face, using my fingers to brush away her tears. It didn't stop them, more continued to fall, tugging at my heart and leaving me with a helpless feeling. Why did I have to be so drawn to this girl, why did Romelle have such power over me to get me to doubt everything I thought I knew? My loyalty to the empire, to Lotor and Zarkon was rapidly falling apart, Romelle digging her nails into the cracks that appeared. It would take much prying to get my loyalty to shatter completely, and for now all I could think was I was making a huge mistake through my inaction.

To Be Continued!

Michelle

Wade Wells, thank you! Here it is! :D


	16. Chapter 16

I would leave Romelle's cell with less than fifteen minutes left to our impending arrival on Doom. No one would think to question my whereabouts, the solider who had been on guard, neglecting to inform Lotor of my visit with Romelle. It was more luck than anything else, the soldier not wanting to approach a still visibly angry prince Lotor. Even the time he had spent in the ship's gymnasium had not calmed Lotor's fury down. If anything, the fighting had only served to agitate him more. He was tense, and fearing for his life. He didn't go so far as to mutter under his breath, but I could see he was deep in thought. No doubt he was reviewing all the things we had suggested to him, trying to decide on what would be the best excuse to give his father.

To some degree, we were all nervous. Mogor and I couldn't help but wonder if we would be thrown to the wolves, in order to buy Lotor one more chance with the Arus invasion. I considered Lotor my friend, but even I could not predict what he would do next. I doubt even Haggar could have, though she seemed the calmest out of all of us.

That calm disturbed Lotor, almost as much as the knowing looks the witch continued to give, bothered me. She didn't come out and accuse me of anything, but she had been suspicious ever since I returned from the holding cell area. I tried to pretend it didn't bother me, but feeling her eyes on my back made me sweat something awful. I couldn't help but wonder if there would be a price for her silence, nor did I forget that vision of hers, the one that had made the witch determined to see Romelle dead.

But she continued to say nothing, not even alerting Lotor to my unauthorized visit with his fiancee. None of us were in fact doing much talking, just waiting on pins and needles for the ship to land inside the docks. A squadron of the King's personal guard would be waiting for us, those red and gold colored uniforms putting fear into all our hearts.

The captain of the King's personal guard was tall, even for a Drule. He towered over those in his command, and stared up at us, with a face blanked off all emotions. Zarkon's guards never smiled, at best they could manage was a grimace. This time none of them bothered to do an honorary bow to welcome their prince home. They were all stiff with tension, hands held at the ready by the blasters on their hip's holsters. It was a clear threat, they were prepared to open fire should Lotor cause any trouble.

"Let's get this over with." Lotor grumbled under his breath, trying for anger to disguise his fear. "Mogor, greet them!"

"ME?" The general wasn't pleased, and had to be shoved by Haggar before he would walk down the ship's ramp. He held up his hands to show he as harmless, several of the soldiers eyeing him before surrounding him.

"So that's how it's going to be." A displeased Lotor said. A sound from behind us alerted us to Romelle's arrival. She had her hands in cuffs, and a length of chain hobbled her by the ankles. She fought as the Drule soldiers dragged her forward, chains rattling from her furious motions.

"Lotor..." She hissed and tried to lunge forward, though what Romelle thought she would do, I did not know. The soldiers hauled her back, preventing her from getting close to Lotor. He barely paid her any mind, save to look displeased at her arrival. This was not the right time to be showing he had the princess as his prisoner, the captain of the King's guards bellowing out an order in Drule.

It seemed they were tired of waiting for the prince to come down, a dozen soldiers marching up the ramp to take us all into custody. Including Romelle, the princess shrieking, struggling harder. It would earn her a slap across her face, both Lotor and I reacting with savage growls. Haggar nervously cackled out laughter, amused that both of us had reacted to protect Romelle. But it was with different motivations, Lotor reacting with the anger of someone mishandling one of his possessions. I merely reacted with the outrage of seeing someone I was coming to care about, treated so cruelly.

"Be gentle with her!" Lotor snarled at last. "That is my future wife, the soon to be princess of the Doom Empire!"

The guards didn't laugh at that. One might even say they gave him a look that said they thought him a fool. Lotor didn't like that, anymore than he liked seeing Romelle dragged past him. The princess wasn't fighting as hard, she seemed dazed from the slap. Her pretty face would be bruised, the guard who had hit her hadn't bothered to curb his strength.

"Where are you taking her?" Lotor demanded, trying to move past the soldiers to follow the princess. The captain stepped in front of him, hands on his hips as he blocked Lotor's pursuit.

"Your highness, King Zarkon would have a word with you."

"Not until you tell me what you're doing with Romelle!" Lotor growled, looking as though he would swing a punch at the other Drule. Another guard stepped near to him, grabbing both of Lotor's arms. The prince immediately began struggling, trying to get free. "Damn you, let me go! What's going on?"

"Prince Lotor of Doom, you are hereby under arrest for your failures on planet Pollux." The captain was calm. "Your father, King Zarkon is prepared to announce judgment on you."

"Judgment? Oh man..." Mogor muttered, but he wasn't trying to fight the soldiers that had surrounded him.

"He knows...?" Lotor gasped, the captain nodding.

"There is not much that gets past the great King Zarkon."

Haggar ambled down the ramp, none of the soldiers daring to touch her or her familiar. "The prince has a right to a hearing. The King cannot play judge, jury and executioner without hearing his son's side of the story."

"The King is prepared to listen." But from the look on the captain's face, he didn't seem to think it would make much of a difference.

"Then take us to him." Ordered Haggar, and the captain nodded. I too would find myself surrounded by soldiers, though no one made a move to restrain my arms. All of us were free to act save Lotor, who was cursing and making threats as they dragged him through the castle's corridors. He talked of retribution, of how he would make the captain and his squad pay for this treatment. No one laughed, nor did they take him seriously. They were sure he was a dead man walking, and many of the servants turned away at the sight of us.

The walk to the throne room would seem to go on for a small eternity, and all due to the delays Lotor caused with his struggles. But even that could not keep us from Zarkon indefinitely, the four of us being ushered before his dais. The throne room was not empty, the entire court was present, with both soldiers, and the men and women of the nobility. A hush filled the room as Lotor was forced to his knees. The rest of would also kneel, even Haggar who complained about her bad knees.

"Father!" Lotor shouted, his voice seeming to echo in the too quiet room. "What is the meaning of this? How dare you treat me in this manner. What are you thinking? How can you treat your only son-"

"Enough Lotor!" Zarkon's voice seemed to have the booming strength of thunder. It was enough to drown out Lotor's voice, the prince not quite flinching as Zarkon pointed his golden scepter down at him. That scepter had a pointed end, it would make an effective projectile should Zarkon decide to use it. And I knew he was capable of just that. In my three weeks at court, I had seen him grow angry enough to spear a man on it's pointed tip, all over some slight that shouldn't have earned anyone a death sentence.

Zarkon was seated at the top of the dais, leaning forward in his seat as he continued to point with his scepter. "I will not tolerate your righteous indignation. Nor will I allow you to pretend you don't know why you have been brought before me in this manner." The scepter seemed to bob, punctuating his words. Always it remained pointing down at Lotor, tip gleaming.

Wisely, Lotor did not make any false claims, staring sullenly at his father. Zarkon seemed to nod to himself in approval before calling on his captain. "Read the charges Captain Adamentius."

"Yes, your highness." With a flourish, Adamentius shook out a scroll. It was almost comical the length of the paper, the captain begginning to read off the list of Lotor's crimes. It wasn't just Pollux he mentioned, he brought up Lotor's failures over the last three weeks. The prince's face grew angrier and angrier as he listened to this, I was surprised he didn't start to growl.

"More recently, you are charged with failing the Doom Empire with regard to it's interest in both planet Arus and planet Pollux." Continued Captain Adamentius.

"That wasn't my fault!" Lotor quickly protested. "None of it was!"

"Silence Lotor!" Zarkon snapped, then nodded for the captain to continue.

"Not only did you allow Voltron to have free reign upon Pollux, you allowed it to destroy a valuable robeast. You did nothing to prevent Arus and Pollux from joining forces to beat back our ships, if anything you helped instigate matters further. Pollux was not destroyed, and Arus still remains free. And perhaps you're greatest offense was that you sought to hide this from your King."

"I had to learn from that brat Bandor of your failures!" Zarkon scowled then. "That insolent whelp actually called me to issue a declaration of war on Doom!" I had no doubts that Bandor would have filled Zarkon in on every detail of the battle on Pollux, right down to the fact Lotor had killed his father, and taken his sister prisoner.

"I wasn't trying to hide this from you!" Lotor protested.

"Oh?" Zarkon arched one scaly, black eyebrow. "Then what were you hoping to accomplish? Hmm? Did you think to come up with some way to spin this so it didn't look like a complete and total failure?"

"I..."

"Yes?" Zarkon gave Lotor his complete attention, even as he radiated keen disapproval. "What is it?"

"The fault is not to be found with me! Or my actions!" Lotor was speaking through gritted teeth now. "If anything, the problem lies in the robeast I was given."

"Are you saying Avok wasn't adequate for the job?" Zarkon demanded, then glanced at Haggar when Lotor nodded. "Well witch? What say you? It is your work he is calling into question."

"Avok was my strongest robeast yet. He lasted the longest against Voltron, may have even come close to defeating that infernal robot. There was some set backs yes, but ultimately I believe we can come away from this defeat with valuable knowledge" said the witch. She was not angry, nor frightened, her expression as serene as she could manage. "The data I have collected, will allow me to make stronger, faster robeasts...ones able to pinpoint Voltron's now known weaknesses, and use them to their advantage."

"The data doesn't matter." Lotor said in a dismissive tone. "It's Haggar's robeast that failed. It doesn't matter how long it lasted against Voltron, just that it was defeated!"

"A defeat one could say you helped quicken, in unleashing our ships against Avok!" Zarkon smirked then. "Oh yes Lotor, I know everything. Bandor was explicit down to the most minute detail."

"He was taking too long!" Lotor snapped. "I merely sought to help take down Voltron. It is not my fault our robeast was caught in the crossfire."

"Hmph." Zarkon leaned back in his seat. "I say you were an impatient fool. Wouldn't you agree General Mogor?"

It was an awful position to be put in, and I was glad Zarkon hadn't questioned me. It was the sort of situation where you were damned if you did, and damned if you didn't. Either royal would be angry with you, depending on how you sided.

"Uh..." Mogor was hesitating a tad too long, seeming to sweat under the combined gazes of both Lotor and the King. "I couldn't say your highness." He finally said. "I..in the midst of all that fighting, I'm afraid I was distracted with trying to keep alive."

Zarkon sneered. "And so you saw nothing?" His gaze turned to me, and I tried to keep my eyes from widening. "And what about you Commander Sabbath? What did you see?"

I didn't want to hesitate, feeling the weight of the entire court's stare on my back. "I saw our prince doing his duty. He killed the enemy King, that same King who would betray us all. He killed any and all that got in his path. If not for Voltron's interference, I dare say all of Pollux would have been destroyed."

"Sire, if I may." Haggar added her own claims to what I had said. "On the prince's orders, the armada managed to dwindle down Pollux's population by at least one hundred thousand deaths. And there was a handful of cities that were destroyed before the call to retreat came."

"And just who gave that order to retreat?" demanded Zarkon.

"Not I!" Lotor proudly claimed. "Even with the flag ship torn apart by Voltron's own hands, I would have been content to let our armada continue to fight. However...when they saw Voltron on the horizon, saw the robot had joined forces with Pollux, it was your own soldiers, men and women trained to know no fear, who chose to abandon the mission."

From the look on Zarkon's face, he would be calling on the commanders of each of the fifteen fleets that made up the armada that had accompanied Lotor to Pollux. And all to personally question and punish them. It was tantamount to treason in the Doom Empire to abandon one's mission. Little could be said to excuse such an offense. Not even if it meant the commander had been thinking of the lives he would save in ordering the retreat.

"So you see father, it is not all my fault..."

"But there is fault to be found in you!" Zarkon practically lunged out of his seat, pointing his scepter at Lotor once more. "You have become a bumbler, a fool ever since you laid eyes on the princess of Arus! What's more, you are making the same mistakes with the princess of Pollux. Is it not true, your lusts for Romelle is what drove you to try and speed up Voltron's defeat? All because you could not wait a few seconds more to get her in your bed?"

"Father!"

"No, Lotor. If I were to ask the General and Commander, I bet they could confirm these suspicions of mine!" Zarkon was shaking with his anger. He wasn't that far off from the truth either, Lotor had been spending far too much time thinking about molesting Romelle.

Mogor and I exchanged nervous glances. Neither one of us wanted to be put on the spot, called to tell Zarkon what we knew about Lotor's obsession with Romelle.

"You should have spent more time preparing for the battle with Voltron!" continued the King. "I should have known you would have screwed things up when you asked me to marry Romelle. You and your lust for human women lead us to nothing but trouble!" He was waving his scepter around now, gestures wild. "Bandor wants his sister back. I have half a mind to humor him."

"Father no! Romelle is mine!"

"She is not yours!" Zarkon bellowed. "You think I would reward you, would allow you to have her after that debacle on planet Pollux? You'll be lucky to keep your head when I am through!"

"But..."

"BUT NOTHING!" roared Zarkon, placing his foot on the top most step of the dais. "The only reason I allow Romelle to remain here on Doom is that neither I, nor my Empire give in to other worlds' threats and demands. It would be pure folly, not to mention insulting to cater to a planet as weak as Pollux by giving Bandor back his sister. No, she can rot in the dungeon's for all I care! Rot until we find a suitable use for her..."

Lotor didn't like that, anyone could read his upset on his face. Zarkon noticed it too, and let out a mean snicker of sound. "I wouldn't spend my time worrying about her. Not when you have your own neck to save. You've failed me four times in quick succession against Voltron. You've even managed to secure peace between two centuries long enemies. I do not yet know what havoc the alliance between Arus and Pollux will cause, but I do not like it one bit!"

"If you would just give me one more chance..." Lotor began, sounding almost desperate.

"One more chance? I have given you FOUR chances!" roared Zarkon. His free hand suddenly grabbed his chest, Zarkon continuing to gesture wildly with his scepter. "It is painfully clear to me, you will never succeed. Never!"

"Sire, do not be hasty!" Haggar called out, sounding alarmed. "He is your son, your only heir..."

"No one is irreplaceable, not even Lotor." Zarkon growled. But his voice sounded weaker. I didn't think he was growing hoarse from all the shouting he had done. I had born witnessed to him bellowing for hours at a time, this moment should have been nothing to him.

"You'll disrupt the empire if you kill him!" protested Haggar. "It takes time to make a new heir, and even longer to wait for that child to come of age! And that's not even taking in your physical condition, your age...You might not be able to conceive another child this late in your life."

"I am perfectly healthy old witch!" snarled the King. His voice was growing fainter though, and he continued to clutch at his chest, claws digging into the heavy velvet of his robe. He looked disorientated, sweat beading on the sides of his face. I didn't know for certain what was happening to him, having never seen the King suffer so much as a sniffle. "I can and will make Lotor's replacement...count on it..."

He had been stalking down the dais' stairs as he talked, wobbling uncertainly when it happened. He suddenly gasp, the scepter falling from his hand as he grabbed at his chest. We all watched in morbid fascination as Zarkon teetered on the edge of a step. What else could we do? There was no way anyone would reach him in time. The great king, the mighty Zarkon fell, his body all but bouncing off the stairs.

He would roll to a halt a few inches from the kneeling Lotor. The prince looked as shocked as everyone else, staring at the crumpled form of his father. We were all inactive until Haggar screamed, the witch lurching up off her kneels to scurry over to her King.

"What is it witch? What's wrong with him?" Lotor was demanding.

"Captain Adamentius! Clear out this room at once! No one is to remain save for us four, and Zarkon's personal guard." Haggar ordered, and glared when the captain tried to protest. "DO IT!"

"Yes Haggar!" the guards began ushering the nobles out of the room. Those Drules were protesting, they all wanted a ring side seat to the drama that was about to unfold. The soldiers present moved to help the guards drive out the nobles. I found myself standing with Lotor and Mogor, hovering behind the kneeling witch who was running her hands over Zarkon's body.

The King was staring without seeing, eyes glassy. The once gold gleam of them was now a sickly yellow, giving him a feverish look. Haggar moaned and began to chant, trying to figure out what was wrong. Her hands began to glow, she was whispering some healing spell that gave Zarkon enough strength to speak.

"Oh the pain...I can't stand it. Haggar do something!"

"I am trying sire!" Haggar tried to sound soothing, but her voice was panicked.

"Father!" Lotor knelt down besides Haggar, seizing Zarkon's hands. I wasn't sure what was behind his concern, surely he didn't care that his father was sick, and possibly dying.

Zarkon clasped hold of his son's hands, the sweat continuing to bead on his skin. "It struck all at once..."

"You must rest..." Lotor told him.

"I can't rest! Who will conquer the universe when I'm gone?" demanded Zarkon. "Witch! Use your power at once! The pain is like a fire inside me!"

"Do not fear your majesty! I will call upon the blackest of spirits to attend to you at once!" she promised.

"Then do it quickly!" ordered Zarkon with a moan. "My strength is fading."

Haggar took her hands off of Zarkon's chest, and began chanting in some long forgotten language. Her eyes turned a shimmering neon green color, power radiating off her aura. She continued to chant, voice growing louder and more desperate. We watched as she began to sway, and it was I who caught her when she collapsed with a scream.

"Haggar!"

"The dark spirits have given me a message." She croaked out in a whisper to me. She gestured me to bend closer to her, putting her cracked lips to my ears. "They tell me to save Lotor's father from this terrible sickness, he must give him a magic medicine. A medicine which is made from berries which only grow on the planet Arus."

I looked up at Lotor who had knelt down on the opposite side of Haggar. "Did you hear?"

"Yes. And I don't like it." Lotor scowled at her. "You just want me to battle Voltron again."

"You must do this Lotor." Haggar turned towards him. "If you accomplish this task, your honor will be restored...the people will forget about Pollux and your previous failures." She gestured him closer, whispering then. "As long as you bear the shame of defeat, they will never accept you as King. But if you do this, even if Zarkon should expire before you return, your ascent to the throne will be assured."

Lotor liked that, a glimmer of a smile hinting at the corners of his mouth. "Take a small squad with you. If you move fast, you'll never even be detected by the Arusians. Voltron can be avoided if you take care." Continued Haggar. Zarkon was still moaning, tossing and turning in place on the floor.

"I'll get those berries." Lotor said, turning to look at Zarkon. "Count on it!" Haggar was relieved, seeming to sag in my grip. She was so exhausted from communing with the black spirits, that she too had to be carried out of the room on a stretcher. Zarkon would received similar treatment, being carried to his private chambers. Lotor would disappear, but not before giving orders to myself and Mogor. We were to gather a small group of our best soldiers, and get a ship refueled for the trip to Arus. I wondered if we would be successful, not wanting to think of the state the Empire would fall into should Zarkon die. I had a feeling Lotor would still fight for the throne, the backing of the people be damned. But it would be easier for him in the long run, if he regained the people's faith by saving his father.

In a way Zarkon's collapse was fortunate to us all, saving Lotor from the beheading the King had been sure to grant him. But more than that, it was fortunate for Romelle, putting her out of reach of Prince Lotor. She seemed to be forgotten as the prince rushed off to make preparations for Arus, and perhaps that was the kindest thing that could have happened to her on Doom.

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Wade Wells, thanks again! :) Ah but Lotor isn't getting married anytime soon as you see from this chapter! Lucky for Romelle...at least for now her luck is high since I'm sure she prefers the dungeons to spending time with Lotor! :o

Lotor Sincline, oh wow! You played catch up this week! Thanks so much! I'm glad you're able to view such an evil Lotort without getting mad at me. Thanks for the support. :) Ah the General Commander thing...well the truth is I know nothing about ranks...and honestly thought a Commander would be higher, since I was thinking a commnader would command the whole armada. Later on, someone gets a demotion and I consulted a friend who was more knowledgeable about what rank they should be demoted too. But sadly, she didn't catch the General Commander goof and she's reading the story! *embarrassed a little.* I guess we can say it's a differeance of rank in Doom...^^;;

The slave girl...I thought about having him kill her, but decided against it. Ah Sabbath...yes sometimes he does know the right thing to say to Lotor. BUt it won't always be the case, as very soon he will end up on Lotor's shit list like you predicted. Sometimes I felt as frustrated as Sabbath, cause it was hard to have him do stuff that wouldn't end in Lotor killing him! It's kind of a miracle Sabbath survives so many events! Its not apparent yet...but it soon will start the downward slide of everything.

I have a question for you now! What did you mean by Lotor's little rag? It's just I never heard rag used like that...the only explanation I could think of is...rather perverted. *blush*


	17. Chapter 17

It would take nearly two days to travel to and from Arus, even at our ship's top speed. We brought only two ships as our back up, they were sleek and small in size. Small enough that we weren't detected by Arus' planetary sensors. It seemed the Gods smiled down on us, favoring us to get close enough to the berries. Of course the plans didn't go down completely without a hitch, we weren't that blessed.

Especially when Lotor came across Allura and some of the servants of her castle. I'm sure he thought himself fortunate to encounter her. Especially since she had been so foolish as to go berry picking without her guards. I was amazed, wondering what was the chances that the princess and her entourage would be picking the very berries we needed to save our King's life?

Fate had a very twisted sense of humor, allowing Lotor to be so close to Allura, only to walk away without her. It was that damn Voltron Force that interfered, rescuing Allura and her servants, and rousing the lions of Arus to do battle with our plant beasts. Those trees that had been brought to life by a witch's magic, stood no chance against the lions. And even when they combined into one mighty beast, it didn't last long. Not against Voltron's blazing sword.

However, all was not lost. While Lotor was distracted by the battle, Mogor and I, along with several soldiers, hurriedly picked as many berries as we could. No one on Arus was aware of what we were doing, too focusd on the prince and his robeast. Whole baskets of berries would be loaded onto one of the ships, Zarkon would have his medicine.

To Lotor, the defeat of his plant robeast was another crushing defeat. But our mission hadn't been to battle Voltron, or to take over Arus. It had been to get the berries. And that we succeeded in. Lotor hardly seemed pleased, angry he had come so close to Allura and lost her. He would sulk the entire journey back to Doom, and occasionally I would hear him grumbling about how his father better be grateful for what he had done.

Haggar was waiting for us when we arrived back on Doom, the witch eager for the berries. We had brought more than enough for her purposes, the witch's eyes gleaming as we carried whole baskets off of the ship. She would have Mogor bring a basket to her laboratory, and there she would secloister herself for seven whole hours. And each hour, the tension seemed to grow, until even Lotor felt it.

"What's taking the witch so long?" Lotor demanded, pacing outside his father's room. I could only shrug, having no sure answer for him.

"It's a specific kind of medicine." I said at last. "It's probably delicate work...something that cannot be rushed."

"If she takes any longer, my father will die before that medicine can get to work!" Lotor grumbled. I didn't know what he was so agitated by, he had accomplished what he set out to do. In the eyes of our people, they would see him as the devoted son, risking his life against Voltron to get those berries. They would find it a pity that the berries hadn't been able to save Zarkon, but they would no longer stand between Lotor and the throne.

I couldn't help wonder what the Doom Empire would be like under Lotor's rule. If things would be made better or worse. Once I would have assumed Lotor could only improve things, but that was before Pollux. Before I saw how he acted over Romelle and Allura. Could someone so delusional where women and love was concerned, really make a fit King? I wasn't so sure, and hated the doubts that filled me.

These doubts, as hated as they were, were becoming a natural part of my every day thoughts. When I wasn't worrying about what kind of King Lotor would be, I was worrying about Romelle. I wondered how she had survived the dungeons of castle Doom, and my anxiety mounted as I realized I wanted to sneak away and see her. But with the crisis of King Zarkon, there hadn't been any time. I hadn't even had the chance to tell Romelle I would be leaving for Arus.

Not that I thought she would miss me. I was still assuming she hated me as much as she hated any Drule. I couldn't know that two days spent in a cold cell, with no friendly faces to talk to and soothe her, was giving Romelle another view point of our relationship. She was coming to appreciate me, to appreciate the friendship we had had, and to long for the small acts of kindness I had shown her on our journey to Doom.

Romelle was actually begginning to fear she might never be the benefactor of a kind act again, the girl trying not to despair completely. Not when she knew her youngest brother still lived. Bandor's continued life gave her a more lasting purpose than revenge, Romelle wanting to return to his side, and help him become the kind of King she could be proud of.

She knew she had to live, if only for Bandor's sake. She'd take what comfort she could get out of her situation, and that included deepening her bond with me. But before any of that could happen, before I could visit with her, the situation with Zarkon had to be resolved.

"Finally!" Lotor's exasperated voice called out, the prince slowing to a halt. He was glaring at one end of the hall, hands on his hips as he watched Haggar running towards him. She held a medium sized bottle in her hands, some pinkish red potion sloshing about in the glass container. "It took you long enough." Lotor added with a scowl.

"I had to be extra careful in mixing the ingredients." Haggar wasn't even out of breath, even though she had surely run all the way here from her laboratory. "Too much of the berry's juice, and the medicine will become poison. I had to take into consideration the King's weight and size, and determine the precise amount of juice to use."

"Hmph." Lotor made a scoffing sound then. "This had better work old witch." He grabbed the bottle from her, Haggar protesting.

"Careful sire! We mustn't spill it! Not even a single precious drop."

"I won't." Lotor said, and gestured for her to go in ahead of him. He would do the same for me, but as I glanced back at him, I saw him staring in consideration at the potion inside the bottle. I couldn't know what was on his mind just then, but later he would tell me. Of a witch named Zondra, and how she had advised him to poison his father. Lotor would admit to me how tempted he had been to do just that, and even outside Zarkon's bedroom, he had struggled with his indecision over what to do.

"Coming your highness?" I asked then and there, seeming to startle Lotor out of his thoughts.

"Yes, I'm coming." Another look at the potion, and then Lotor was striding into the bedchamber. Zarkon's moans greeted him, the King delirious and unable to lay still. He continually tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. It was a comfort that would elude him, Zarkon almost crying out in frustration.

"Quickly prince Lotor!" urged Haggar, standing on one side of Zarkon's bed. Lotor nodded, than looked at me.

"Hold him down." He said, and I held back a sigh. I would crawl into bed with Zarkon, gripping his shoulders and pinning him down against the mattress. Lotor would join me in the bed, bringing the bottle's uncorked opening to the King's lips. If not for my holding him down, the King would have lashed out, causing the precious medicine to spill.

The medicine was forced down Zarkon's throat, and at first he began to choke on it. But some of it got down his throat, and that revitalized him. Enough that he began swallowing it down on purpose, until he was greedily sucking on the bottle's opening. He sucked until every drop was gone, and actually licked his lips clean. Lotor and I immediately backed off the bed, waiting to see what would happen next.

We would wait only a handful of minutes, before Zarkon grinned, his eyes opening. He would attempt to say something, only to have a scream come out of him. It set the hairs on the back of my neck rising, never had I heard such an awful sound.

Zarkon quickly grabbed at his throat, and Haggar let out a dismayed sound. She thought she had poisoned the King through her miscalculations. The witch actually fell to her knees, begging his forgiveness. Zarkon continued to scream, and suddenly he leapt up off his back, and onto his feet. He swayed on the bed, not exactly balanced on the mattress.

"Wonderful! Just what I needed, a magic potion!" Zarkon laughed, and flexed his right arm. "I feel stronger than ever! Strong enough to take on ten robeasts in the arena!"

"Sire!" Hagagr was so relieved, she didn't even try to calm him down. The old witch looked like she might even shed a tear, so great was her happiness.

"Father...!"

"Lotor?" Zarkon appeared to notice him for the first time. "What are you doing here! Why aren't you dead?"

"Ah...it was prince Lotor who went and got the berries needed for your cure." Haggar was quick to explain. "He risked life and limb to go to Arus, and pick the most crucial ingredient to the medicine I made for you."

"You did that?" Zarkon seemed shocked.

"That's right I did." Lotor confirmed, crossing his arms over his chest. "So you better be grateful!"

Zarkon considered him a long moment, before nodding. "I am, I am. Never did I imagine my son could be so devoted as to risk himself to help out his father."

"I hope that gratitude extends towards giving me a reward."

"A reward? Well, I suppose you're entitled to one." Zarkon nodded his head as he thought about it. "Very well Lotor, I will give you one more chance against Voltron. Hell, I will give you ten more chances if that is what it takes. But I want you to defeat that robot, and conquer Arus for me!"

Lotor scowled. "That wasn't the kind of reward I had in mind!"

"Well, that's the only reward you'll get!" Zarkon snapped. "Be grateful you're not dead Lotor.."

"Oh I am...but I'd be more grateful if you let me marry Romelle."

"You're still stuck on that girl? I am disappointed in you, Lotor!" Zarkon tsked.

"Romelle is mine!" Lotor hissed. "I earned the right to her, I captured her...I should..."

"You earned nothing where that girl is concerned!" snarled Zarkon. He was still standing on the bed, as if that was the most natural thing in the world. He placed his hands on his hips, giving Lotor a considering look. "Romelle is barred from you until further notice."

"What? Why?" Lotor demanded, looking outraged.

"I know you Lotor. You will be so focused on her, you won't be able to function to win against Voltron!" Casual, Zarkon began to walk to the foot of the bed. Only Haggar moved to steady him, her arms held out to catch him in case he should fall. "You need to be free of both these princess' spells. You need clarity of mind...some time and distance may help strengthen you. And if that doesn't work, perhaps proper motivation will."

"Careful sire." Haggar said, trying to catch hold of his hand as Zarkon moved to jump off the bed.

"I was sick Haggar, not made an invalid!" Zarkon retorted, annoyed.

"What kind of motivation?" Lotor asked, suspicion in his tone.

"I will consider giving you your heart's desire." Zarkon said, striding over to a mirror. He began examining his reflection, though what he hoped to find I did not know. "In other words, the day you defeat Voltron, is the day you can marry Romelle. And not a minute sooner!"

"That's not fair!"

"Oh ho ho! So even you lack faith in your ability to destroy that robot, and deliver Arus into my hands." Zarkon smirked at his reflection. "Really Lotor, if you're that incapable of winning, you should just tell me now so that I can replace you."

"Replace?" sputtered Lotor.

"Of course, I don't accept losers as either my family or my heir." Zarkon continued as though Lotor hadn't interrupted. "I won't kill you, if you admit Voltron is too much for you to handle, but I will replace you."

"I would never admit to such a thing!" snarled Lotor. "I can and will defeat Voltron! I will prove you wrong, will outdo everyone's expectations of me!"

"Now that's the kind of talk I like to hear!" Zarkon actually purred in approval. "Go now son. You and Haggar have to plan your next mission to Arus. I expect you to leave by this time tomorrow."

"So soon?" Lotor frowned, and Haggar raised her voice in protest.

"Sire, I couldn't possibly have a robeast ready in such a short time. I haven't even had a chance to study the data gathered on Voltron, what with my concern about your condition..."

"Concern is for the weak. I'm sure you had plenty of down time while waiting for Lotor to bring you the berries." Zarkon turned then. "Go now. Make your plans...and do try not to disappoint me this time."

"Yes, sire." Haggar and I bowed, but Lotor continued to stare at his father.

"Problem Lotor?" Zarkon asked.

"None at all..." Lotor seemed to hold back a sigh, giving a grudging bow to his father before moving to walk out of the room. Haggar and I hurried after him, Lotor not trying to hide how much he was seething inside. "Who does he think he is?" Wisely neither one of us pointed out that Zarkon was our King, just watching as Lotor stalked down the hallway. "Making demands, giving me orders...barring me from Romelle!"

I couldn't sympathize with him, too relieved that Zarkon had inadvertently saved the girl. At least for now. I don't think Haggar felt any pity for the prince either, not when she wanted Romelle dead.

"Cheer up sire. I'm sure Zarkon will after a time lessen the restrictions he placed on you where the princess is concerned."

"He better." Grumbled Lotor. "He makes unreasonable demands...his expectations too high. How can he expect me to defeat Voltron without the proper time to prepare for our next encounter?"

"We will think of something."

"We better, witch!" Lotor growled in threat. "I want Voltron defeated. Not just defeated, I want it destroyed, and with it all of Arus' hopes and dreams crushed."

"Yes, yes," Haggar was nodding rapidly in agreement. "You will defeat Voltron. Arus will fall, it's people enslaved..."

"And with it no longer a problem, both princesses will be mine!" Lotor finished up with a smirk.

"Er yes..." Haggar didn't look thrilled at that idea. "You will get what's coming to you, as far as the princesses are concerned."

"I better." Lotor snapped, seeming not to notice the way Haggar avoided looking at him. "Go...pick out the best robeast we have left in the arena. Amplify it's powers as best you can."

"What will you be doing?" I asked, and Lotor rolled his eyes.

"I will be picking out the best ships and soldiers for this mission. Maybe just maybe, with a lot of luck, we will gain a victory." He suddenly clapped a hand on my back. "By this time next week, we might be dancing at my wedding!"

"Maybe." I tried to hide my lack of enthusiasm at that thought. Lotor, lost in his own delusions of how wonderful married life would be for him, didn't notice. But Haggar did, the witch eyeing me sideways. She continued to give me that odd look, even after Lotor had vanished down a different path from us. "What?" I demanded gruffly of the witch. "Why do you look at me in that way?"

"You're going to see her, aren't you?" Haggar demanded.

"Her?" I played stupid, pretending not to know who she meant.

"Romelle!" Haggar was impatient with my act. "Don't try to deny it. You stink of concern for that girl."

"And so what if I do?" I asked defensively. "It's no crime to show her some kindness..." Haggar hmped at that. "If Lotor has his way, she will be the future queen of Doom. I would think you would be trying to cultivate a relationship with her."

"She won't have any real power. She's all but beneath my concern..."

"Does that mean that trouble you saw has been averted?" I asked her, truly curious about this.

"Hardly." Haggar grumbled then. "As long as she continues to live, we are on a collision course with destiny. I still don't know what form that trouble will take, but it cannot be good. For any of us, but especially for Lotor." She fixed me with a sly look. "You'd save Doom a lot of trouble if you just killed her now."

"NO!"

"Think of it as a mercy killing. The girl is miserable here, and will continue to be so for as long as she is our prisoner." Hagger sighed. "Lotor will make things worse for her, the second he gets a chance. You know he will. His lusts will get the better of him. If you kill Romelle, you would be saving her from that as well as Doom."

"I will not do your dirty work for you witch! And if you so much as look at Romelle funny, I will inform Lotor of your desire to kill her." I was threatening her, even knowing she could strike me down with her magic at any moment. I was honestly surprised she didn't lash out at me then and there, the witch just sighing.

"I will never understand what it is about human women that make Drule men so irrational." She tsked then. "Especially blue eyed blondes. Lotor is afflicted by them, and even you suffer. Hell, his father had the same problem with Lotor's mother."

"What about Lotor's mother?" I knew that she had been a slave, and a human one at that, but I didn't know much more about the woman who had given birth to the prince.

"It's not important." Haggar began to walk away from me. "It's really such a pity commander. You could have saved us all a lot of suffering if you had just done this simple thing and killed the girl." She tsked again, her voice echoing back to me. "Whatever happens next will be on your hands...I hope you can shoulder that burden."

Uneasy, I stared after her, wondering and wishing she could tell me exactly what she had seen. And why did Romelle have to die? Couldn't the trouble Haggar had seen been just as easily averted by sending Romelle away from Doom? But then, I suppose Haggar knew as well as I did, that Lotor would never allow Romelle to escape him. He'd most likely shrug off any of her visions as nonsense, Lotor continuing along the course to his damnation.

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Lotor Sincline, thanks again. And I don't mind where you read it. ^_- And thanks for explaining better about the rag insult. And yes, I work in the berry episode, along with several others, though briefly. Mainly I focus on the Romelle eps, but sometimes to show time passing, I put in mentions of other episode details. ^^;;

Wade Wells, thank you! It's building toward something though...the most unpleasant of chapters...I work in mentions of events and Doom plans from several non Romelle eps. Trying to show the passage of time without having to go into vivid detail for every single ep. One thing that was tricky is, after episode...I think it was number 21, Romelle disapears from the show until the Omega Comet stuff. Clearly she does not disapear from this story. But the passage of time was a nightmare to try and figure out how to handle. X_X


	18. Chapter 18

The dungeons of castle Doom were the kind of place hope came to die. Dirty, dank, and dark, a suffocating wave of depression filled all who had the unfortunate privilege of staying in the dungeons. It wasn't just the inhabitants of the dungeon who felt it, those who guarded over these lost souls were also afflicted, to the point there was a constant rotation of soldiers for this floor. It was perhaps the only way for them to keep sane, the soldiers only spending a few weeks on duty here, before being sent else where.

I could feel that hopeless feeling settling in me as I walked along the pathway between cells. I felt dirty just looking at the conditions the prisoners lived in. The cells were packed with mud and dirt, a dark green fungus growing between cracks in the walls. The mud got on everyone, caking grime covered clothing. Rust covered the chains and the bars of the cells. A toilet was in the corner of each cell, but there was no privacy to use it.

Things better left unidentified covered the floor, puddles especially predominant near the leaking toilets. There was no beds to be found, forcing the prisoners to sleep on the dirty floor. The ones I looked at, had long since become accustomed to the filth, so had no qualms about laying down in the dirt. They avoided the puddles as best they could though.

There were stainless steel bowls on the floors, some kind of gray goop inside them. The gray mush was splattered over the edges of the bowl, the only kind of meal these people would get. It had to be as unappetizing in taste as it looked, my lip curling in disgust.

The prisoners were mostly human, though a few alien species also numbered their ranks. There was even a Drule or two, and it made me wonder what they had done to piss off Zarkon so badly. It wasn't a reprieve to end up in the dungeons. It was here you were sent to generally be forgotten. These people would most likely spend out the remainder of their lives in these cells, living like animals, fighting for the slop they called food.

Many of the cells were crowded, more people inside than should be allowed. But Doom had never cared about health violations for it's prisoners. I looked into each cell, trying to see if Romelle was among the crowds. Most people turned away from me, uninterested in yet another Drule tormentor. I wasn't here to torture them though. My concern was the princess, and I walked just a little faster through the dungeons.

I would find her near the middle of it, her cell not quite as crowded. It was all women inside, many of them turning frightened when they realized I had stopped before their cell. I didn't try to reassure them, peering among the faces. There was two other blondes present in addition to Romelle, but she outshone them even in this grim circumstance. Her blue dress had not yet had time to get torn or that dirty, though it still bore the splattered stains of her father's blood.

"Romelle..." I wasn't surprised that her cell mates were all women. The dungeons were carefully segregated. They didn't want the prisoners taking any joy from each other, even sex would be denied to them. I was glad in this case, because I feared what the male prisoners would have done to a girl as beautiful as Romelle is.

"Sabbath..." Whimpers rose up at Romelle's acknowledgment of me. The women prisoners feared I meant trouble to them. Some were so frightened, they tried to stop Romelle from walking over to the rust covered bars. But she shrugged them off, almost commanding in her harsh whisper. "Leave me be!"

Reluctantly, the women watched as Romelle came forward. I didn't want to touch the filthy bars, and yet I found myself pressing closer to them, just to be within touching distance of the princess. She didn't touch the bars, stopping just short of them. We stared at each other for a long moment, my eyes concerned and critical as I looked her over. There was shadows under her eyes, telling me she hadn't been sleeping much if at all.

"Where have you been?" Romelle broke the silence with what I thought was anger. I couldn't know she had been struggling with the fear that she would never see me again. It might seem strange to you, but I remained the only Drule who was kind to her. A kindness she appreciated, even if she didn't always show it.

"I'm sorry." I bowed my head, letting my bangs fall over my eyes. I was trying to hide from her, regret in my expression. That regret would turn into surprise as Romelle reached past the bars, and brushed back my hair. The imprisoned women were alarmed at Romelle's boldness, nervous chatter erupting from them in Basic. "It couldn't be helped. The King...he fell ill. There was a mission..." I was half babbling, and finding myself longing for her to touch me again.

"The King is ill?" Romelle asked, but she wasn't excited by that news. She knew even if Zarkon died, her situation wouldn't change that much.

"He WAS ill." I corrected. "There was a cure to be found on Arus. It's why I was gone as long as I was. We left almost immediately..."

"You didn't forget about me..."

I was alarmed by that. "Never, no! Romelle...you are always in my thoughts..." She didn't smile at that though there was an odd look in her eyes. Did my burgeoning feelings for her keep me from noticing it was calculating? I could not say for sure, though I am sure Romelle carefully weighed her options. I was a valuable asset to her, even if I would not set her free. A friend, one who held a high position in the Empire, was something she desperately needed.

"What's going to happen to me?" She asked. I realized as a prisoner, no one would have bothered to inform her of what was going on. I was a fount of information for her, having the answers she desperately needed. "Am I to marry Lotor after all?"

"No, not yet at least." I told her, noticing she still wore the strips of my shirt around her hands. The slap she had been given had also darkened into an ugly yellowish purple bruise. I was relieved to see it was the only visible bruise on her for it meant she hadn't been causing enough trouble for the guards to bother disciplining Romelle. "The King has made an official decree. Lotor cannot marry you unless he gains defeat over Voltron."

"Thank the Gods!" Romelle closed her eyes briefly in relief. A tension seemed to leave her, one I hadn't been aware of until just then. Even with that palpable relief she expressed, she still remained worried. "But then...what is to be my fate in the meantime? Am I to remain in this place?"

"For now at least." I said morosely. "Zarkon gives not a care to your comfort. He only wants to know how he can use you."

"Use me?"

"Against Arus and Pollux. Your brother Bandor has already declared war on Doom. The King was quite irritated by your brother's audacity." I almost smiled then. But the mood was too serious for such a light, happy expression. "It almost rivaled his anger with Lotor." I tried to cheer her up by telling her of Lotor's near miss with the executioner's ax. 'The King was livid, to the point he was ready to pronounce judgment on his son. Lotor nearly died..."

"He SHOULD have died." Romelle said fiercely. The women were gasping again, frightened that I would punish the princess for speaking so freely like that. I ignored them, studying Romelle. She wanted Lotor's death, was hungry for it. I didn't have the heart to tell her that the nightmare she found herself in wouldn't have ended with the prince's death. Not so long as Zarkon continued to live as well.

"Unfortunately, I doubt the prince will be dying any time soon. Since he aided in the King's recovery, Zarkon has agreed to allow him to live. To continue to attempt to invade Arus, and take down their robot."

"He'll fail. He has to!" Romelle hissed. "There's more on the line than just my well being...the entire free universe depends on Arus' resistance, on Voltron to continue to foil Doom. Without Voltron, there will be no hope...no chance left for the remainder of the galaxy to avoid being conquered."

I wasn't quite sure what to say to that. It would be treasonous to side with Romelle's point of view. As a loyal soldier of the Doom Empire, I should be longing for Voltron's defeat. I should actively participate to bring down Arus, to be the downfall of the galaxy. And yet those same niggling doubts were with me, though some of them were motivated by the fact I found the thought of Romelle as Lotor's bride absolutely abhorrent. As long as Voltron continued to defeat Doom, then Romelle would be safe from Lotor. Or at least, that is what I thought.

"Zarkon would have us leave for Arus come tomorrow." I finally said, and her face showed her alarm. "He's not even giving us enough time to prepare. The witch is hastily trying to augment a robeast's powers while Lotor tries to make plans. But...it's happening too soon. I doubt we will win this encounter."

"You will come to visit me again, won't you?" She didn't want to appear desperate or needy, but I could see the thought of my absence bothered Romelle.

"I will visit you as often as I can between missions. I promise." I told her. She reached through the bars to place her hand on top of mine. Her skin was pleasantly warm, her touch a comfort.

"Thank you Sabbath. I...I don't know what I would do if something happened to you." I blinked in surprise at Romelle's words. It had been an unexpected confession, the princess so upset she might not have realized what she had just said. But it spoke to my heart, of the losses she had suffered. She was so young, too young to have lost almost all of her family. And now she was in a strange and horrible place, all but friendless save for me. I realized it would shatter something in her, if I cut off all association with her.

It was no exaggeration to say she had come to depend on me, even with the disappointments I offered her. Romelle might even have hoped that if she continued to deepen our bonds, I might change my mind about helping her to escape. But I had a lifetime of loyalty to Doom, and it wasn't that easy to throw it all away. Especially for someone I had known for no more than a handful of days.

I couldn't free her, but I could try to make her stay more comfortable. Hers and the other women she was imprisoned with. I knew Romelle was self sacrificing enough to insist they all enjoy the favors of my friendship. She wouldn't allow for anything else.

"You must be hungry." I said at last, wondering if she had deigned to try the glop they passed off as food. Romelle allowed a small nod of her head, her eyes widening at my next words. "I will send down a real meal for you. For all of you." The women didn't trust this, whispers of conversation reaching my ears even as they tried to be quiet. I looked past Romelle to study the dirty cell. It would be impossible to demand it be cleaned, but I could try and make it comfortable.

"I'll send down blankets and pillows." Romelle squeezed my hand in thanks, seeming overcome with emotion. It was such a small thing to do on my part, but to her it meant everything.

"Thank you.." She whispered, her voice almost breaking on a sob. I'm sure she thought I didn't realize the kindness I was doing, how uplifting those things would be to those who had been demeaned and treated like less than a person.

I didn't feel easy with being thanked. And all because I knew I wasn't doing as much as I could have done for her. "Until we meet again." I wouldn't say good-bye to her, instead stressing my promise that I would return to her. She nodded, and released her hold on my hand. We stared into each other's eyes a second longer, and then reluctantly I stepped back from the bars.

I didn't run, but I didn't exactly go slow as I walked my way through the dungeons. Some of the cells closest to Romelle's, the people inside now stared at me with open yearning in their eyes. They had been close enough to hear my exchange with the princess, and they wanted in on the niceties I would provide for her. But they had no bartering power, no chance for any gifts. They were no innocent princess, and I wasn't yet so far gone as to start improving things for every single person in the dungeon. Even if they hadn't been declared criminals of the Doom Empire, the dungeons were hardly ready to usher in changes.

As it was, what I proposed to do for Romelle was startling to the guards on duty. Not that it was completely unheard of. Romelle was after all, slated to become Prince Lotor's bride. As much as I hated that thought, I played on the status it gave her. I let the guards assume that I was working under the prince's orders, gifting Romelle with small things to make her more amenable to her future husband.

The goods would be delivered to Romelle and her cell mates, I made sure of it. I couldn't stay away, finding myself returning to witness with my own eyes the improvements to her situation. The women there still didn't trust me, but I suppose I couldn't blame them. They knew what usually happened when a Drule took interest in one of their kind. My actions though didn't match up to their expectations, for what Drule would show such kindness? Most of the soldiers would have just picked a woman, raped her and been done with it.

Suspicious as they were, they still made use of my gifts. Blankets were everywhere on the floor, and I had even managed to get some soft padding to give them. It wasn't as thick as a mattress, but it would give them some protection from the mud, and coldness of the dirt covered floor. Watching the women wrap the blankets around their shivering frames, led me to realize just how cold the temperature of the dungeons was. It was no wonder it offered a chance for sickness to fester inside the people imprisoned here.

As much as they liked the blankets, the real treat was the feast I had delivered to them. Some were eating so fast, I knew they would end up sick. Others were slower, savoring the taste, enjoying food they might not have had in years. Romelle seemed more concerned with handing out the food to the other women, then eating it herself. To the point I had to order her to sit down and eat as well.

"There will be no shortage of food." I told her, watching as she began to peel a round, purple colored fruit. She actually closed her eyes in enjoyment at the first taste of it's juicy pulp. "None of you need fear that." I spoke to the group inside the cell, and they listened, as attentive as ever even while distracted by the meal. "I've made arrangements to have food continually delivered to your cell."

"How can you be sure that the guards will honor this arrangement once you are gone from Doom?" Romelle asked, in between bites of the fruit.

I gave her a humorless smile, flashing my fangs at her. It sent a shiver through her, the dark look in my eyes. She almost looked away, as though she had just realized I was dangerous. "Believe me. They will honor it. Or face the consequences of my wrath."

"Oh." A soft reply, Romelle staring down at her lap.

"There's many benefits to holding a high rank in the Empire." I added, blanking out my expression so as to settle her uneasiness. "I may not have been born a noble, but as commander in the military, there are many privileges I get to enjoy now."

Romelle nodded, glancing around the cell at those very privileges I mentioned. "This won't get you into trouble, will it?" She asked anxiously. "I can't imagine the King being pleased by the pampering of his prisoners..."

I shrugged her off her concerns. "The prince, if he was thinking with even half a brain, would have insisted on such treatment for you."

"Because he wants to marry me." She sighed then, but didn't let her upset stop her from reaching for another fruit.

"Well, yes." I was silent, thinking how if Lotor had any sense, the very least he could have done was begin to court her. Especially if he wanted Romelle to act favorably towards him as his wife! I couldn't have known at the time, but Lotor was making preparations for just that sort of thing. Although his methods included letting Romelle sit in the disgusting dungeons for a while longer. Lotor thought if she had time to wallow in the dirt, and the misery of her present situation, she would become all the more appreciative of what he had to offer her.

It was a surprisingly smart tactic. There were women out there that would have fallen into line with Lotor's manipulations, would have been grateful for the chance to break free of the dirty dungeons. Not Romelle though. The princess refused to let him buy her affections, refused to be reduced to a paid whore. She didn't care about the prestige and privileges she would earn as Lotor's prized pet. She just wanted him dead.

But it wasn't yet time for Lotor to go to stage two of his plans for wooing Romelle. He'd leave her in the dungeons for almost another week, acting as if his only care in the universe was to defeat Voltron. I would reluctantly accompany him to Arus, but my thoughts remained on Doom. There wasn't an hour that went by, where I didn't think about Romelle, worrying about her down in the castle's dungeons.

My performance on the mission didn't suffer. But then, there wasn't much for me to actually do. With Lotor taking charge, the only thing I had to do was react to his commands. My only role was to make sure the other soldiers on board were doing what was expected of them. But with Haggar's robeast taking up center point of the plan, we didn't even spend much time fighting.

No instead, we stood around, watching as our robeast, a creature born in a world of arctic ice, battled Voltron. It attempted to freeze Voltron in it's tracks, a solid layer of ice surrounding yellow and blue lion which made up the robot's feet. Thick as that ice was, it did not stand up to red lion's flames, melting until Voltron was able to shatter it apart with it's sword.

That same sword would be used to kill the robeast. We didn't even stick around to watch it's defeat. The instant Voltron had broken the ice, Lotor had ordered the ships to retreat to higher ground. He wanted no repeat of the incident on Pollux, where Voltron had gone after, and torn apart the flag ship. Fortunately for us, Voltron was content to let us escape, and save for a few soldiers that had piloted our star cutters earlier in the day, we didn't suffer many losses.

We'd return to Doom in disgrace, but even Zarkon was made to see reason about how little our chance for success had been, given the time constraints he had forced on Haggar and Lotor. A series of strategic meetings would be held, tactics being formed as we began openly trying to decide how next we would go after Arus and Voltron. And all this time, Lotor kept from me his plans for Romelle, leaving me to believe he had completely forgotten about her.

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Lotor Sincline, thanks! See I always imagined a specific thing Lotor does to Romelle is the cataylyst for something Romelle does in response. So he had to leave her alone until the setting was right for my plans. Hence Zarkon kept Romelle from Lotor! MWA HA HA!


	19. Chapter 19

During the next few weeks, Doom would continue to try and conquer Arus. There were many plans made, things being set into motion that would have far reaching effects some time in the future. One such thing was the development of a flower, Haggar working overtime in her lab to modify an already existing plant's seeds. These flowers would be poisonous, their pollen quick to make humans sick with a high fever. There would be no known cure on Arus, a fact we were counting on. We wanted the people of Arus held hostage for our cure, believing that the princess would give in to save her people.

And so the seeds were sent to Arus, our ships flying low to scatter them all over every available inch of the planet. It would take weeks for the seeds to take root in the ground, and during that time other schemes were formed. In addition to the poisoned flowers, Haggar began developing a carnivorous race of rats. It was no secret the princess of Arus had rodents for friends, and the witch hoped that her rats would infiltrate the castle, and do a myriad of sabotage.

But before the flowers could bloom, and the rats could be cloned, there were more immediate plans to be had. Lotor actually took a back seat to this next mission, allowing the witch to be in charge. Haggar took to her task with an unnatural glow about her, the witch happy and confidant she would succeed. Of course, such confidence was necessary, we couldn't allow our subordinates to think we had no faith in these plans of ours. But Haggar was laying it on a little too thick, even for Zarkon!

Haggar would travel to planet Arus, to the deepest part of the woods that surrounded the castle of lions. Haggar would use her magic to call up a castle from the buried ruins of a building that had been destroyed long before Doom came to Arus. It was an impressive sight to see, the ground seeming to split open, the few columns and stones pulling together, and multiplying. Molding together, until a grand old building existed, though a spooky sense of foreboding surrounded the very air around it.

That was not all Haggar would do, she would spread rumors of the castle, of the treasure that was within it's walls. The people of Arus would begin to avidly talk about this treasure, though none knew for certain the location of the castle. Haggar kept the castle clouded in fog, she wanted no one but the Voltron Force to stumble upon it's location.

Of course, her plans didn't go off without a hitch. Some local children, not even older than eight, were playing in the woods when the castle first appeared. Two boys and a girl, more brave than I would have thought a child could be. They didn't run, instead becoming determined to explore the castle. I don't know how it happened, but they would meet up with the pilot of Green Lion. He wasn't much older than the children, perhaps that's why he didn't send them home.

Whatever his reasons, it was with those kids that Pidge arrived at Haggar's castle. They would walk right into her trap, wandering into the castle's treasure room. The group was overcome by the sight of all that treasure, lowering their guard as they all began to stuff their pockets full of coins and jewels. It was then that Haggar would make her move, using her magic to seal the castle's doors. Once trapped, the treasure's illusions wore off, revealing the group had stuffed their pockets full of bugs, lizards and snakes.

While they were screaming, Haggar trapped them in a bell, the group hanging upside down. Eventually, the rest of the Voltron Force would somehow be alerted to the plight of Pidge and the children. Haggar wasn't content to allow the remaining members of the Voltron Force to just waltz into the castle. She conjured the long dead soldiers that had guarded the castle ages ago. The corpses would cut off their retreat, all but their captain running inside the castle.

I thought it foolish of Haggar to have underestimated the captain of the Voltron Force. She left him to roam free about the castle, while the others on his team ended up in a similar predicament to Pidge and the children. It was then that Haggar sprang the final trap, a robeast emerging from the ground. It would sink hooks into the very stone of the castle, struggling to lift it free of it's foundations.

My ship would be called into action, it and three other large vessels, lassoing ropes around the castle's towers. These were no ordinary ropes, but cords made of thick but flexible steel. Together with the robeast, we would lift the castle free of the ground, our intent to carry it and the Voltron Force back to planet Doom. It might have even worked, if not for the pilot of black lion remaining free.

He would scurry about the upper levels of the castle, battling the bone soldiers as he made his way to one of the ropes. We were all astonished when he began climbing up one, and on my orders, the star cutters were released. They attempted to shoot the captain down, and though he did slip at one point, the pilot did not fall to his death. Instead he would land on one of our star cutters, breaking it open to toss out the Drule pilot, and fly the ship down into the forest.

I can remember Haggar's infuriated screams when black lion took flight. She had been so sure of our victory, she had already called King Zarkon to gloat to him of the present she was bringing. It became apparent to us all, we were about to be handed another loss, black lion cutting all the cables with it's sharp claws. The castle would fall back down to the planet's surface, the Voltron Force barely more than scratched up from the ordeal.

Haggar refused to believe in her defeat, sending her robeast to chase after the pilots. Even with it's flame breath trying to cut off their escape, they made it to the lions. Voltron was quickly formed, and the battle was laughable in how short it was.

Forced back to Doom, Haggar could only offer feeble apologies for our failure. Lotor was smug about this, for it gave validation to his own claims that it hadn't been his fault that he kept losing against the robot. Zarkon could only grudgingly agree, for Haggar's defeat had reminded him of his own difficulties against Arus' defender. Our planning sessions would continue, more strategies being developed in preparation for our next assaults on Arus.

Of course, going to see Romelle was one of the first things I attempted to do upon my return. I was anxious to see her, to see with my own eyes that she was still as well as one could be, given the circumstances of her situation. Never was I expecting what I found, her cell restored to it's previous state of grime and despair. I stared in shock to see the blankets and padding gone, the women huddled on the dirty floor. They looked even more miserable than the first time I had seen them, and I would be slow to realize it was all my fault.

No one outright accused me, but I knew enough to realize I had given them a false sense of hope with my acts of kindness. The women had begun to believe their situation was improving, enjoying the food, medicine, and bedding I had continued to send to them. They never took it for granted, but they also never thought to wonder what would happen if one day the gifts stopped.

To many, it would have been better if I had never given them those things. For it had given them a taste of what they might never again have. These people had no hope of rescue, back then it was unheard of, of prisoners escaping or being ransomed off. Once you ended up in the dungeons of castle Doom, you were there until you died.

These women, already so downtrodden and miserable, were even more so now that they had benefited from my gifts. They wouldn't even look at me, sitting close to one another for comfort and warmth. But some cried, perhaps assuming my gifts had been just one more manifestation of the Drule's cruelty.

These thoughts would come much later, for right then and there, I was more concerned with Romelle. Or the fact that it was plainly clear she wasn't present in the cell. Alarmed, I jerked back from the bars, feeling myself grow sick with worry. Where was she, and what had happened to Romelle? I didn't know, but I would get answers, running through the dungeons until I reached the gate that separated me from the exit.

The guards heard me coming, reacting to draw their blasters. They didn't know what could have stirred me so, and feared there was some kind of danger inside the dungeons. I was sure I was frantic and wild eyed, gesturing impatiently for them to open the gate. They would do so after a moment's hesitation, the chain groaning in protest as it lifted the gate.

"Where is she?" I demanded, lunging through the opening. I actually grabbed one of the guards by his tunic's collar, shaking him. "Where is Princess Romelle?"

"The princess?" The guards exchanged looks. I growled, and shook the one I held so hard his teeth seemed to rattle.

"Yes, the princess! She is gone from her cell." I didn't mention my gifts were also absent, more concerned with the girl's whereabouts. A dozen scenarios were playing out in my head, none of them good.

"It was the prince." My heart sank at those words, and unconsciously, I dug my claws into the soldier's neck.

"What about his highness?" He tried to look at his partner for help. I was digging in deep enough to draw his blood, growling threateningly.

"Commander..." The other soldier would not risk touching me. Not with the mood I was in. "Prince Lotor had her moved from the dungeons. Said it was not suitable a place for his future bride."

"Moved?" I didn't relax, taking my eyes off the soldier I was bleeding to look at his partner. He was eyeing me back, looking increasingly worried by how I was handling his partner. I couldn't blame him. Drules higher in the chain of power, were known for abusing those below them. What's more, it would not be considered a crime if I killed these men for displeasing me. And all because my rank was higher than theirs. "Moved where?"

"We do not know!" The solider exclaimed. "The prince chose not to share such information with us. You must believe me." I stared at him a minute longer, before relaxing my grip. Immediately the soldier I had bled fell to the floor, his hands raising to touch his throat. His fingers would come away red with his blood, he would need medical treatment to fight off infections.

"If you want to find out what happened to the princess, it's best you speak to the prince himself."

I nodded, eyes narrowed, the dark promise in them making the two guards shiver. "That I will."

Without another word, I stalked away from the two, actually stepping over the soldier bleeding on the floor. I would all but fly up the stairs, my unease growing with every step taken. I was imagining a million things at that moment, all having to do with Romelle, and the treatment she would suffer at Lotor's hands. It showed on my face, translating into an angry glower that had people gasping and turning away from me. They didn't know why, but knew enough to know a high ranking Drule was on the war path.

No one wanted to get in my way, and those that had the misfortune to, were quickly barreled over. I knocked servants over in my haste to track down Lotor, ignored greetings from friends, would have even refused a summons from my King. I would check all of Lotor's usual haunts in the castle, the banquet hall, the command center, even the barracks where the soldiers brewed their own beer. I should have just gone directly to the chamber that housed his harem, for that is where I eventually stumbled upon the prince.

The harem was as lively as it had ever been, frantic, jovial beats playing. The women there, all blonde and scantily clad, were dancing to the music. They were all accomplished dancers. They had to be if they wanted to survive. Lotor wouldn't tolerate imperfections in his harem, forcing the women to not only be talented, but also stick to a strict diet and exercise regime to maintain their shapely bodies.

Lotor sat on a throne that was similar in looks to his father's. He was relaxed, right leg draped over one arm rest, head propped up on his left arm. Harem girls surrounded him, each one holding something. The one with the pitcher had been tasked with never allowing Lotor's goblet to run empty, while another was busy peeling grapes before feeding them to the prince. Another was holding a large feathered fan, waving it gently in Lotor's direction.

The prince was watching the dancing slave girls, but anyone could see he was distracted. He wasn't his usually, relaxed self, no smirk of satisfaction on his face. He wasn't quite mad, not yet, but he was annoyed. I'd find out soon enough that Romelle was the source of that annoyance.

"What have you done with the princess?" I asked without preamble. I didn't even bow to him, just radiating with my anger, An anger born out of fear, leaving me sick with worry over the things Lotor could have done to Romelle.

"Ah Sabbath..." Lotor didn't look my way, opening his mouth for another grape. He wasn't being his usual teasing self, not bothering to suck on the girl's fingers, or run his tongue over them. "I figured I'd hear from you soon enough."

"The princess..." I started to say, and Lotor gave a lazy wave.

"Come, take a load off." One of the harem girls quickly dragged over a chair for me, but I ignored it. It was then that Lotor sighed, and truly looked at me for the first time. "Really Sabbath, standing about glaring is not going to get you answers any quicker."

"Fine." I grit out through my teeth, reluctantly sitting down. A goblet was immediately pushed into my hands, red liquid sloshing about. I couldn't help but look at it suspiciously, earning a laugh from Lotor.

"It's not poisoned if that's what you fear." His humor left him just as quickly as it had formed. "Though by all rights, I should consider doing something to you for your...treatment of Romelle."

I stared at him aghast. 'My treatment?"

"I know about your...gifts to her." Lotor explained. "Very kind, very considerate. But also very inappropriate." If a Drule could blush, I might have then. As it was, I turned flustered, taking a long drink out of the goblet to hide that reaction. "Just what were you thinking? Seeing to the care of another man's property."

I seethed inwardly at him referring to Romelle as if she was nothing more than a possession. It made me reckless, my words bold. "I was doing what you didn't." Lotor arched a brow at me, looking skeptical. "That girl deserves far better treatment than she was given, especially if one is to consider she is about to become the Doom Empire's princess. I couldn't leave her to waste away in the dungeon..."

"Neither could I...Not for very long at least." Lotor acknowledged. He tsked then. "You've nearly ruined my plans for her." I wasn't sorry to hear that, taking another long sip of the wine. "I wanted Romelle to enjoy all the amenities of the dungeons, to better allow her to appreciate the comforts I could give her." He paused to eat another grape, his eyes narrowing as he looked at me. "Imagine my surprise and displeasure when I discover she is not wallowing in misery, but making the best of her situation. A situation that was markedly improved because my friend decide to pamper her!"

"Would you have me apologize for that?" I demanded in a gruff tone.

"I don't care much about your apologies, though I would like an explanation." He eyed me. "You care for her, don't you? Don't deny it, it was written all over your face from the moment you walked into my harem. But commander...it can't go beyond caring...the girl is mine. Forever denied to you."

"Don't you think I know that?" I snapped out, inwardly shocked at how angry the thought made me. "Your highness, I would never presume to even try to take a woman from you..."

"You'd fail Sabbath." Lotor smirked. "You lack the charm that I possess, the way I have with women." It might surprise you to know Lotor was able to say that with a straight face, but then he was delusional enough to believe that. He really thought he was God's gift to women, that he could tame any one of them, and make them feel honored to sleep with him.

I was impatient, not content to be talked circles around. "I know and understand that. I see the princess as nothing more than a..."

"A what? A friend?" Lotor snorted rudely. "Don't be absurd. Men like us don't make friends with women as beautiful as she. We want, and we lust, and eventually we take what we want."

"And have you?" It was bold, and presumptuous of me, but I was desperate to know. "Have you made her yours, in every way that counts?"

Another smirk, which made me think the worse. Lotor drank down his wine, and then sighed. "No, not yet."

"Not yet?" I repeated dumbly. What was he waiting for?

"I thought if I gave her some time, she would grow to appreciate me. Grow to appreciate the things I can do for her." He scowled then. "She isn't nearly thankful enough...I blame that on you."

"On me?"

"Yes!" Lotor slammed his cup down on the floor, a slave scrambling to retrieve it. "If you hadn't sent her food and blankets, then maybe she'd be a bit more appreciative of the room I moved her to."

I tried to be causal as I asked the following. "Just where did you put her?"

"She's in one of the abandoned bedrooms near to my own private quarters." Lotor scowled. "I spared no expense in renovating the rooms, outfitting it to charm and dazzle a female's eyes. I've gotten her a whole new wardrobe, made of silks and satins, velvets and lace. The finest clothing to ever touch a woman's skin. And the jewels! Why one necklace alone would put the wealth of a kingdom against her throat. And yet she doesn't care!"

I busied myself with drinking, hiding a smile behind the goblet. I wasn't surprised that Lotor couldn't buy Romelle off with his gifts. But I was also worried, wondering how long he would play this cat and mouse game of courting her the proper way. Knowing him, he was bound to get impatient sooner rather than later. Which would endanger Romelle all over again.

"I'm surprised your father allowed this..." I was causal as I said this, fishing for information.

Lotor snorted again, and smirked. "My father simply said I cannot marry her. He said nothing about fucking the girl." I tried my best not to choke on my drink, glad my blue skin couldn't grow pale at the thought. "Ah...no matter. I will wear down Romelle's resistance, one way or another..."

That one way or another concerned me, as much as anything else Lotor had said. I tried to give him advice, all to help delay an unpleasant fate for Romelle. "You must exert care and patience where the princess is concerned." I said. Lotor rolled his eyes in annoyance at me. "She is unused to our ways...she saw you kill her father before her very eyes...her planet was betrayed by ours...it's no wonder she isn't coping well..."

"She needs to get over those things, and get over it fast!" Lotor grumbled. "My patience is not infinite." How well I knew, and feared! "She can't spend her time whining and crying over the past. She needs to embrace her future. Her future with ME!"

"I'm sure she will, given enough time..." It was a bold face lie, I knew Romelle would never forget or forgive him for what he had done.

"She better." Grumbled Lotor, and it seemed the subject was at an end. He would turn his attention back to his harem, taking comfort from the seductive swaying of the slave's bodies. I wish I could say I grew at ease watching them, but I remained tense. I practically leapt out of my skin when a soldier burst into the room, an excited shout being called out.

"Prince Lotor, Commander Sabbath! King Zarkon would have you come to him at once!"

"What? My father?" Lotor grimaced. "What does he want now?"

"I know not sire, save to tell you Haggar the witch has also been summoned." Lotor and I exchanged glances, knowing this had to be serious.

"We will be there at once." Lotor said, already rising to his feet. The harem girls would scatter at his insistence, the music grinding to a halt. Together Lotor and I would leave, following the soldier to Zarkon's private office. Haggar was just arriving, having a soldier of her own accompany her. We would all exchanged greetings, but neither did we linger for long out in the hall. Not when we were eager to know the reason behind this summoning.

Zarkon would be seated behind his desk, staring not at us, but something on the computer before him. He wouldn't even greet us in a formal way, save for an acknowledging grunt as he typed out a command into the computer's console.

"Take a look at this." He said, as a view screen lowered from the ceiling. We all immediately fastened our eyes onto the screen, watching as missile bombarded some planet. Each hit was followed with a violent explosion, that decimated the land around it for miles. Whole buildings were wiped out, the people vaporized in the explosion. The land was reduced to nothing but ash and dirt, a crater marking what had once existed.

"This is Planet Bolto." Zarkon said at last. "We have been actively attempting to destroy it for the past ten hours."

"Actively succeeding from the looks of it." I said, and Zarkon grinned.

"It won't be much longer until nothing is left of Bolto."

"Why are we bothering with this backwater planet?" Lotor demanded, arms crossing over his chest. "I never even heard of this Bolto before this day!"

"That's right! We should be concentrating on planet Arus..." Haggar spoke as if she hadn't just suffered a crushing defeat at Arus' hands.

"I think Bolto matters very much to us in the long run." Zarkon paused, looking us all over. "I have received word that Bolto is the home world of one of the Voltron Force members."

"Really?"

"Yes. That runt. The one who pilots green lion." He smirked again. "I've also recived word that the lions of Arus have launched, all to scurry to the rescue of Bolto. Of course...blue lion has remained behind. It appears they had a disagreement over what to do..."

"This is perfect...Alllura is alone on Arus!" Lotor exclaimed, and Zarkon sneered.

"Don't get ahead of yourself Lotor, you haven't captured her yet!"

"But I will! With the lions separated by a distance of several hundred light years, there's no way they can form Voltron!" Lotor laughed, and Haggar cackled in excitement.

"And while they are light years away, I will plan the capture of Planet Arus!"

"Yes, you will. Lotor, you're going to Bolto." I could see Lotor was displeased, he would much rather be sent to Arus.

"I must have the assurance that they will be defeated and not return!" Haggar was saying.

"Be assured. Lotor, you see that they are totally destroyed on planet Bolto. Commander, you are to go with him to make sure he doesn't somehow fuck it up."

"Yes, your highness." I was ill at ease, not liking how Zarkon put the responsibility for Lotor's mission in my hands. But what else could I do? I couldn't wiggle off this hook, and could only hope it wouldn't result in my death if Lotor somehow failed.

To Be Continued!

Michelle


	20. Chapter 20

We would leave for planet Boltos almost immediately. Neither Lotor nor I would have time to say our good-byes to Romelle. As much as I wanted to see the princess, I couldn't help but be relieved this mission had come up. It would buy her some more time, keep Lotor away from her for just a little while longer.

Of course Lotor also viewed this time away as a good thing. He strongly believed in the human saying that absence made the heart grow fonder. He thought if Romelle had enough time, she would get over her upset, that she would come to appreciate the wealth and comfort of her surroundings. The surroundings Lotor had provided for her. He couldn't, wouldn't understand that she would have been happier inside the dungeons.

It was Lotor's delusions at work again, the prince feeling confidant that by the time he returned from planet Bolto, Romelle would happily fall into line. He set himself up for disappointment, but then that was nothing new as far as the prince was concerned.

But before that disappointment could happen, the Bolto incident had to play out. We would travel straight to it, our lazon fueled ships flying at top speed to the planet. Onboard was one of Haggar's hastily construed robeasts. It's sole task would be to take on the lions, for the missiles had already destroyed much of the planet's civilization.

It would take our fleet nearly three hours to get to the planet, which was an hour after the Voltron force's arrival. The Voltron Force was already on the move, having been discovered rooting through the remains of a building. Star cutters from the fleet that had been continuously bombarding Boltos, were attacking. The lions roared out the pilots' anger, fighting back with those ships.

Our star cutters were merely a delaying tactic. They weren't capable of handling ships such as the lions. Nor did Lotor see a point in prolonging the star cutter's battle once we arrived. He quickly launched the robeast, the beam of magic enlarging it once it was on the planet's surface. It was an ugly thing, and it kind of reminded me of a bat that had been twisted by Haggar's magic. It even had wings, and the large ears of that earth creature, though fortunately it didn't rely on a bat's sensitive hearing.

The robeast was able to launch it's own flame based missiles, along with a cyclone of cold air. The wind based cyclone sent the lions flying, causing them to crash into the ground. They never had time to get up, the robeast flying overhead and bombarding them with it's missiles. The lions seemed as weak as kittens then, and I remember well the excitement that filled the flag ship. We all thought Doom was finally going to win, and it was with lifted spirits that we set about our duties.

The robeast should have finished off the lions while it had them pinned down. Only then would disaster be diverted. But Lotor was enjoying the show too much, goading the robeast on to greater attacks, laughing as the lions bounced around like oddly shaped balls. I should have talked some sense into him, instead of letting Lotor have free reign to do as he pleased. All we were succeeding in doing was buying the Voltron Force some much needed time, blue lion soon arriving.

Of course Lotor was delighted to see Allura's lion. I could remember him gloating, purring in satisfaction about how she was saving him the trouble of going to Arus to fetch her. He didn't think she'd be able to do anything to turn the tide of battle in the Voltron Force's favor. Neither did I truthfully. She had always proven to be the weakest link of the Voltron Force, often falling prey to our attacks. What could she hope to do against a robeast that had pinned down the other members of her team?

The robeast was in the midst of burying the Voltron Force, having knocked the lions down into a pit inside the planet, when blue lions' laser darts began blowing up the stray star cutters, and striking the robeast. Lotor immediately tried to capture her lion, a lighting laced tractor beam surrounding her. We could hear Allura's screams over the air waves, but so distracted were we by blue lion, we didn't notice the lions were fighting back.

Even with blue lion in trouble, the lions seemed invigorated by it's presence. They would claw their way out of the pit, and attack the robeast. At the same time, the planet was besieged by earthquakes, a result of all the missiles Doom had bombarded Boltos with. It caused a volcano to erupt violently, lava flowing, and large rocks taking to the air. They made effective projectiles, and some hit our vessels, including the flag ship.

An electrical short circuit occurred after the third boulder struck us. The tractor beam was disrupted enough for blue lion to get free. The princess immediately flew towards the other lions, and together the five moved to form Voltron. It was all over for the robeast once that happened, electro sabers and blazing sword playing a part in slaying the monster.

Lotor hadn't wanted to accept that it was over. He actually had wanted to try and fight Voltron with our ships. The rest of us knew that was folly, ships no matter the size, were no match for Voltron. In the end, it was a readout from one of the onboard technicians that convinced Lotor to call the order for retreat. Boltos was just minutes away from total destruction, the core of the planet having grown so hot from the missiles, it would soon explode. We could have remained to fight Voltron, but all of us would have died in the process.

Even Lotor could understand that, though he grumbled about the fact that he would have to face his father with news of this disappointment. I was nervous about the same thing, not sure how I could explain why we had lost when the lions had been separated. No one had expected blue lion to come to Boltos, no one had expected there to be enough time for Allura to make a difference.

I could have, should have blamed Lotor. He had after all, allowed the robeast to have it's fun with the lions. But I was still thinking of him as my friend, and so I didn't point out his failings to King Zarkon. It left me with little excuse to give the King, leaving my to stand awkwardly before his throne. Lotor was to the right of me, sullen and defiant. He didn't see the seriousness of the situation, arguing that we had at least destroyed the planet Boltos.

Zarkon sighed, his eyes gleaming with annoyance. Anyone could see he was displeased by what his son had said. "Lotor, my bumbling nincompoop of a son. This mission was never about Boltos or it's destruction!"

"That's right!" Haggar spoke up from besides the King's throne. She was radiating disapproval, scowling with her upset. And all because she hadn't even begun to prepare a sure fire plan for Arus' invasion before word had come of our failure on Boltos. "You were supposed to keep the lions busy! Keep them well away from Arus so that the planet could fall from MY attack."

"You should have worked quicker witch." Lotor retorted. "There was a window of opportunity. It took time for Allura to fly blue lion to Boltos."

"Are you insane?" The witch demanded. "There was no way I could have had a robeast ready in the hour it took blue lion to reach Boltos! And even if I had, it would have still taken time for our ships to fly to planet Arus!" She was holding her blue cat, petting the feline's fur in an agitated manner. The cat seemed to echo her displeasure, tail lashing about angrily as it glared down at us. "At the way the Boltos mission went down, the lions would have arrived on Arus at exactly the same time as Doom."

"Are you saying your robeast wouldn't have been able to stand up to Voltron?" Lotor demanded, not risking a smirk this time.

"I'm saying that an ill prepared robeast would have been reduced to mincemeat at that robot's hands!" Haggar snarled. "You've seen how quickly they end the battles, if I do not have the time to carefully augment a monster's powers!"

"Enough." Zarkon grumbled. "We've already established the fact that Haggar didn't have time to make plans for Arus or to execute them. We are to discover whose fault that is. Commander...what do you have to say about it?"

I tried not to show my discomfort. "Blue Lion was an unfortunate set back. One we did not see coming, nor were we prepared for how that lion would give the other pilots the motivation to regroup and continue the fight."

"Is it not true my son tried to capture blue lion?" The King asked me. I didn't so much as blink, ill at ease as I confirmed that yes he had. "And wouldn't you, in your estimations, say that was pure folly? That if Lotor hadn't been so determined to not bring harm to blue lion's pilot, that if he had set out to destroy it, rather than capture that lion, then things would have gone differently on Boltos?"

"Blue Lion was the deciding factor in this battle." I wanted to look at Lotor and give him an apologetic look. "If it hadn't arrived, if it had been destroyed by our ships, then the other four lions wouldn't have been able to combine with it and form Voltron. The lions and their pilots would have perished on Boltos."

"See Lotor. Even your trusted Commander thinks the fault lies with you...!"

"However!" I hastily spoke up, my voice ringing through the cavernous chamber. "The prince was determined to continue to fight the Voltron Force. He had to be persuaded to leave. Even when presented with proof of the planet's imminent collapse, Lotor hesitated."

"It might have been better if you had remained on that planet Lotor." Zarkon grumbled. "At least then, if you died with Voltron, you'd still retain some honor to your name."

"Sire, your son did everything possible to try and gain us a victory over the lions. His only mistake was that he didn't try to take down blue lion."

"Commander, even that is one mistake too many." Zarkon told me. He stroked his chin then, sharp claws careful with their caresses. "There is much for me to consider. And even though I am becoming used to Lotor's failures, it still disappoints me." He narrowed his eyes in my direction. "You disappoint me too Commander."

"Sire!"

"You were supposed to watch over him, to keep him from making such foolish mistakes!" Zarkon's fingers tightened on his scepter. I feared he was about to fling it towards me, and remained rooted in the spot. If he was going to kill me, running wouldn't save me. Zarkon despised cowards, and would have no problem on spearing me in the back with his scepter.

"In all truthfulness sire, can you imagine the prince listening to anyone save you? Especially someone who is of a lower rank then he is?" I asked, trying not to break out into a cold sweat. "I am free to give my advice, but without a way to force the prince into following it, there was little I could do."

"He speaks true sire." Haggar of all people came to my rescue. "Lotor is headstrong and impulsive. He never wants to listen to anyone, not even you. And when that princess of Arus is added into the picture, he becomes even worse!"

"You make a valid point Haggar." Zarkon nodded. "All right commander, you can relax. I won't be killing you today."

"Thank you, sire." I bowed, but never took my eyes off the King. You didn't survive long in the courts by trusting the King's words.

"What about me father?" Lotor demanded, and the King's eyes narrowed.

"I wouldn't be calling any attention to myself if I was you!" Zarkon snarled. "I think you need to work to get over this obsession with the princess of Arus. She will never be yours, it's time you accept that."

"Allura WILL be mine!" Lotor shouted. "I will see to it personally that her planet falls, and she ends up in my possession!"

"Hmph. You've been trying for weeks now to do just that. And each time you fail. All because of your fixation on her. Don't think I haven't noticed! Your friends might not want to rat you out, but there are other, lesser soldiers that owe their loyalty not to you, but to me! Rumors are abounding, telling me of how you continue to make mistakes, continue to protect Allura's lion. You should be treating her like the enemy she is, focusing your attacks on her! Not coddling her like a child!"

There was no real way for Lotor to respond to that. Not without endangering and damning himself in the process. The truth of the matter was Zarkon's accusations were right, Lotor had been going easy on blue lion. He didn't want to damage the precious cargo inside it, wanted to keep Allura out of harm even if it had meant sabotaging our own missions.

"Your concern, that infatuation, it disturbs not only me, but the entirety of our people!" continued Zarkon, pounding a fist on the arm rest of his throne. "You're poised to become the laughing stock of the Empire. Do you even realize that your actions reflect badly on me, on our entire people? DO YOU?"

"If you will just calm down, and allow me another chance, I will not disappoint you where the princess is concerned."

"Sometimes I think I am the bigger fool for granting you those chances! I must be addled minded to not disown you, and wash my hands of the mess you made!" Zarkon grumbled in retort.

"Then why don't you?" challenged Lotor, to the gasps of the court.

"Lotor, don't tempt me..." Zarkon growled in threat, Haggar coughing to get his attention.

"You son is young and impetuous. But such things can be curbed, and improved upon with time."

"I may not have the patience for him to mature into some semblance of brains. Nor for him to tire of Allura!" Zarkon retorted.

"We all make mistakes...Need I remind you of Adaline?" Haggar asked, and the court erupted into talk at that name. Zarkon didn't look pleased by their reactions or what Haggar had said, openly glaring at the witch.

"I thought I made it clear you are to never speak that name." He hissed, looking like he could barely control his rage.

"I just thought it important to remind you of your own past mistakes and follies." Soothed Haggar. "It wasn't that long ago that a certain King was young and foolish, and hopelessly infatuated too."

Zarkon grimaced at that, then pounded his fist once more. "Silence! All of you!" The court didn't immediately quiet, stray voices whispering through the room.

"You can admit there are similarities between that situation and this..." Haggar continued, and Zarkon growled in her face.

"That was different and you know it!"

"Different how?" The witch wanted to know. "Mistakes happened even then, the Empire losing face from them." The King's face grew angrier yet, mouth tightlipped and showing the briefest hint of fang. "Show some leniency towards your son...he is struggling to do right by the Empire and by his heart."

"I would rather have you come up with a potion to wash him of his lust for that princess!" grumbled Zarkon. "Rather than stir up unwanted memories of the past..."

"If such a potion could exist, I would have made it long ago." Haggar almost sounded wistful then. It made me all the more curious about their exchange, and I was left wondering who this Adaline was.

"Hmph." Zarkon rose from his seat, the entire court seeming on edge over what would happen next. "Court is over with for today. Lotor, go...do what you must to get over this obsession with Allura of Arus. I do not want any further screws up where she is concerned."

"Yes, father." Lotor bowed slightly, mockingly. The rest of the court would follow his gesture, although their bows were more respectful. Zarkon would walk down the dais steps, Haggar following close behind him. They would leave together, and I could only wonder what they would talk about. Would it be about the mysterious Adaline?

The crowd of nobles were slower to leave, hanging around the throne room to openly gossip about today's events. I glanced at Lotor, who was scowling. He clearly didn't look like he intended to do what his father had commanded of him.

"Just who was Adaline?" I asked him, and an array of dark emotions crossed his face. "Lotor?"

"She was my mother." It was all he would say on the matter, but it shocked me all the same. There wasn't much known about the woman that had given birth to the prince. To the point it had to have been on purpose, the people of the castle who had lived during the Queen's time, keeping quiet with what little they knew. I would learn later it was the way Zarkon wanted it, the King refusing to have any reminders spoken of that woman.

"What are you going to do now?" I asked, following the prince out of the throne room.

"I'm going drinking." He paused, and smirked at me. "Care to join me?"

"No thanks, I'll pass."

"Pity." Lotor feigned a sigh. "I could have used you."

"Used me for what?"

"To find the rat who blabbed to my father about my attempts to spare Allura from harm." His look was positively murderous then, and I realized Lotor was intending to go drink with the soldiers in an attempt to track down the spy. I almost felt pity for the one who had been reporting on the prince's actions to Zarkon for I knew if Lotor found him, he wouldn't live out the night.

"Good luck with that." I wished him sincerely. Lotor nodded, and walked away, his pace leisurely as though he had not a care in his world. All to better lull those who looked at him into a false sense of comfort. I wasn't one of them, feeling uneasy. I had thought my sense of foreboding had had to do with dealing with King Zarkon on the heels of our failure. But even now that we had escaped his wrath, intact and alive, I still felt a kind of trepidation through me. I didn't know what was causing it, nor did I know how to settle down from it. I wouldn't know it then, but some part of me had sensed that this evening was going to be the night that changed all our relationships for forever.

To Be Continued!

I'm a bit...nervous to post chapter twenty one. I'll probaby say something at the start of the chapter, but here's an advance advisory. The next chapter has extremely violent moments in it. So please proceed with caution.

Michelle

Lotor Sincline, thanks hon! Glad you liked. I'm happy if I managed to paint such a vivid picture for you! Heh...Lotor is so delusional in this fic when it comes to women. Plus he doesn't understand that no matter what, Romelle is gonna hate him since he killed her daddy in front of her, and betrayed her planet and people! And yet he still believes he has a chance...X_X

Feli3, thank you as always! *hugs*

Wade Wells, I'm laughing cause it did work out that way. It was tricky, doing a history of Voltron episodes, cause as you're aware, Romelle tends to disapear for long periods of time between episodes. So I wanted to show the time flow, but not do chapters and chapters of extended Voltron episodes. Just wanted brief mentions to show the time flow. And thank you, and yes Lotor is something all right when it comes to that ego, especially in this chapter. XD Bad enough he's such an evil, cruel man but as you said, pompous too! :O Thanks for catching up!


	21. Chapter 21

Warnings in place for the violence of this chapter. Read at your own caution.

-Michelle

When I look back, I often wonder if there was something I could have done to keep things from crumbling apart around myself and Romelle. There is a handful of what ifs in my mind, a dozen potentials outcomes all dependent on the actions I did not take. I certainly hadn't been prepared to risk myself, and help her escape from the castle and planet Doom. I had foolishly clung to my life in the Empire, the one I had built up for myself from the gutter up. I hadn't wanted to be a traitor, not to my empire or to my friend.

Of course, helping Romelle to escape was just one of the things I could have done differently that night. I often wonder if I hadn't declined his offer to go out drinking, if I had gone with him to trick the soldiers into revealing his father's spy I could have somehow controlled the situation. Often did I wonder if the two of us had been the ones to get drunk, if I couldn't have steered him towards his harem to soothe his lusts. Or even kept plying him with drink to the point he was unable to function and thus pass out. Would that have saved us from what happened next? Or would it have only been delaying the inevitable?

I suppose there's no way of knowing for sure. I only torment myself with these questions. It is a torment similar to the one I endured that night, my mind plagued by uncertain doubts and fears. I continued to feel unsettled, to the point I was unable to relax. I tried though, wandering the castle's floors, pausing in certain rooms. I visited the library, but none of the books there could hold my interest. Nor was I distracted by the chatter of those who attended the hourly feasting inside the banquet room.

They spoke of Zarkon, and of Lotor's mother, the mysterious Adaline. The gossip there was all speculation, these men and women knew nothing concrete about her. I would pick at my meal, and leave most of it untouched, leaving soon to resume my travels. I was completely aimless, stopping at the gymnasium, and watching the soldiers there exercise. I felt restless energy within me, but it wasn't enough to goad me into joining the Drules on the exercise mats.

I continued to wander, wanting-needing something to calm me. But drink held no appeal, and there was little people around whose company I desired. The only one I wanted to be with was Romelle, and sure enough, after an hour and a half of wandering, I found myself in the main corridor of the prince's wing. I knew right away which room was hers, Romelle's door being guarded by a single soldier.

I recognized him as a Drule I had sparred with in the past, some soldier who had the fortune of earning a position inside the castle. Some of us might have envied those with castle jobs. It wasn't a hard life to be a guard in the castle, the pay was good, and there was less chance of dying than for those of us who fought day to day on the battlefields of the planets Doom was trying to invade.

The guards of the castle were a different breed of soldier from those in the Empire's military. It still didn't exempt them from the orders of a higher ranking soldier. I would use that to my advantage, pulling rank on the guard to gain admittance to Romelle's room. The man was uneasy with this, muttering things about it not being proper or part of procedure. I went so far as to slip him a palm full of coins, dismissing him from his post. He didn't stick around, hurrying off before I could change my mind and demand back my money.

Romelle wasn't present in the outer chamber of the apartment. At least not until I called out to her. She had probably been expecting Lotor to be the one to call upon her, her face showing her surprise at seeing me. Nor could she hide the flash of relief in her eyes, the whole situation making her uneasy since she had been moved from the dungeons to this lavish apartment.

I found myself mirroring her relief, looking her over for signs of abuse. The bruise on her cheek had faded, no longer so stark and ugly a contrast to her fair skin. She was dressed in a pale lavender gown, with black lacing folding over the edge of the bodice, and over her sleeves. The gown hid too much of her body, leaving me unable to know if bruises were on her beneath that pale silk. But still, she looked well enough, and I found myself relaxing noticeable.

"Is he treating you well?" I finally broke the silence with that concerned question. Romelle gave a shrug of her shoulders, then flung out her arms to gesture about the room.

"Well, enough I suppose." But she didn't look happy about her surroundings, or the comforts that had been awarded to her.

"He hasn't been..." It wasn't that I wasn't sure how to ask her about Lotor's interest, but more I was scared to find out just how forward he had been with her. "He hasn't been too demanding, has he?"

"He's been his usual, overbearing self. All arrogant and high handed." Romelle answered.

"High handed?" I raised an eyebrow at that, and she flushed a subtle pink color. "What has he done?" Anger colored my worry, making me growl. She blushed even harder then, eyes turning downcast. "Romelle..."

"It's not what you think." She said at last. "It's not like it was on Pollux..not yet at least." She shivered then, crossing her arms over her chest as though hugging herself for comfort. "He's been spending time with me...giving me gifts, and making his expectations known."

"I'll bet." I grumbled.

"He doesn't understand why I am not more appreciative of all he's done." Added Romelle. "Why I continue to deny him things, expressions of affection." I tried not to let my mind run wild at her words, wondering just what sort of affection Lotor demanded of her. "He refuses to understand I can give him NOTHING of what he wants. Nor would I want to!"

"There is danger in that..." I said. "I fear for you Romelle, I truly do. The prince, he is not known for his patience, especially where women are concerned."

"He takes what he wants." She said flatly, and I nodded.

"That he does. He might be content to play around with you, but sooner rather than later, he will tire of this game."

"You tell me things I already know." Romelle replied. "I know my time is running out..." The sad fact was I knew it too, and knew not how to extend it for her. If she played at being grateful to Lotor for his niceties, he would only grow more delusional and demanding. Asking things of Romelle she would never be prepared to give. The mystery of how he could think she would come to love him when Romelle couldn't even stand to be in the same room with him continued to confound me.

"The King is still adamant Lotor may not marry you until he gains victory over Voltron." Romelle gave me a sad smile, as though I was the one being naive.

"He doesn't need to be married to me to do what he wants to do." Her voice was a soft chide, Romelle looking downwards. "Even I am not so foolish as to believe a lack of commitment will stay his hand for long."

Once again she left me unsure of what to say, both of us well alert to the grimness of her situation. I had no words to reassure her, nor could I make promises that Lotor would not touch her. Not when she was in the apartment he had set up for her, surrounded by the things he had bought, clothed in the gown he had personally picked out for her. Lotors' presence was everywhere, it suffocated these chambers.

"Enough." Romelle gave a shake of her head, and walked over to the two person table that sat situated in one corner of the room. She gestured for me to join her there, the girl pouring me a glass of the cider that had been chilling inside a pitcher. There was an array of cookies and sweets on a platter, but neither of us made a move towards it. We could barely stomach the poured cider, fingers playing against our cups.

"Tell me..." She said after a long pause of several minutes. "What news do you have of Pollux?" Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, Romelle was longing for information about her home world and brother. "How is Bandor coping?"

I was chagrined to realize I had no such information for her, not having given thought to do some snooping before coming to see her. "I regret to tell you I do not know. Pollux has been surprisingly quiet since that declaration of war. Forgive me." Glum I lowered my eyes to my cup. Romelle moved to touch my hand, covering it with her own.

"It just means my brother is being smart, playing things close to his chest if Doom has not gotten wind of Pollux's plans."

"That may very well be the case." I agreed. "But I will do my best to find out something I can tell you. At the very least I could inquire about your brother's health..."

"I'd like that." Just as quickly, she withdrew her hand, placing it around her cup. "If I may...can you tell me how the cities are recovering? It will be winter soon on Pollux, and I can't bear the thought of what will happen to the people rendered homeless during Doom's attack."

"I'm sure you're brother will be doing everything he can to help lessen your people's plight." I tried to be reassuring for her, though I wondered what if anything Bandor would manage to do. He had to be feeling overwhelmed, newly crowned ruler of the planet, left without any family to rely on, poised to wage war with a mighty empire. So much of the planet had been ruined, whole cities devastated. Would it be too much burden on the young boy's shoulders?

"Yes, I'm sure you're right." A faint glimmer of a smile from Romelle. "Bandor won't let them suffer, not if he can do anything about it!"

I marveled at her utter confidence in her brother's abilities, wondering if there was another facet to the boy I had not been made aware of. I had not spent much if any time in Bandor's presence, leaving me dependent on rumors and Romelle to form an impression of the boy. I sincerely began to hope that Bandor really could live up to Romelle's expectations. The people of Pollux would be better off if they were led by someone capable.

"Is it true..." Romelle would jar me from my thoughts with her questions. "That Pollux and Arus are now allies?"

"Yes." I was not surprised that she had heard the news. Not even her captive status could keep the gossip from trickling through the cracks of her prison. "It was Doom's betrayal that led Pollux to mend past fences with Arus."

She looked relieved to hear it, almost but not quite happy at the news. "I'm glad to hear it. It's a shame, but at least some good came out of this tragedy."

"So it did." I agreed. She said nothing in response, letting the conversation die. I won't say it wasn't an awkward silence that took it's place. It was. The first of many, our attempts at talking stilted at times. I watched her play her fingers against the rim of her cup, Romelle looking deep in thought. But whenever I made a move to leave, she would speak, drawing me back in to answering her questions.

It wasn't what you might think. She didn't try to pump me for information to use against the Doom Empire. Instead she was curious about me, Romelle asking me things that I sometimes felt uncomfortable to talk about. Especially about my childhood, the girl curious about the kind of up bringing I had had. I didn't like remembering Canias, but for her I made the effort to find the few pleasant memories I had.

It was no surprise that those memories were of the time before I was kicked out of the brothel, of the time I spent being cared for by my mother and the other slaves. The women there liked children, quick to spoil them as best and as often as they could. As slaves their possessions weren't their own, it made it difficult for them to get the things a child would want or need. Many of my toys and clothes had been hand crafted, or passed down from children who had previously lived in the brothel.

Officially I had no brothers or sisters, but there was a kinship among the accidental children the slave girls bore. We were all fast friends, close and loving with one another. We cried whenever one of us went missing, never suspecting the darker truth behind the brothel's owners cruelties. The boys were almost always kicked out of the brothel before they could mature into teenagers. And the girls? The girls were kept, groomed to become whores, just another way for the master to make more money.

When Romelle asked me about the other children, what had happened to them, I grew quiet. I said nothing, but my face must have betrayed me for she said a quiet oh, and looked down. I'm sure she had figured out what had happened to the girls, and could guess at the uncertain fates of the tossed out boys. Even I did not know for certain what had happen to them, they might have died out on the streets, or fought their way to survive. Some might have become criminals, others like myself, might have become part of the Empire.

I was more relaxed when she began to ask me about my academy days. The physical hardship was immense, but the severity of my instructors was lessened by the fact that I had stability in my life once more. I had a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and a guaranteed several square meals a day. I found this sort of life suited me far better then being a penniless urchin scrounging for scraps. Was it any wonder I became determined to not only earn my keep, but to excel at my duties?

I can't say for sure if Romelle was truly fascinated by what I was saying. She was lonely, and enjoyed having a company that made no demands of her, especially not of the lewd kind. She actually leaned forward in her seat, eyes intent on me as the princess listened to my stories. I was careful not to speak of my first associations with Lotor, not wanting to darken her expression with any mention of the prince. There was more than enough to tell her without bringing Lotor into the mix.

Soon she had me regaling her with tales of the worlds I had visited, both of us ignoring the fact that many of them had been under attack by the Doom Empire. Instead of telling her about the battles, I told her about the land and the people, and what customs and culture I managed to learn from them. Frankly I'm surprised my voice didn't grow hoarse from all the talking she had me do, my cider's ice melting, the drink all but untouched.

It grew late, the hours flying by faster than I would have liked. Truth be known, I lost track of time, so intent on keeping Romelle company. It soothed something in me to talk to her like this, I almost relaxed from my earlier unease. I may have even smiled at her, and she touched my hand on more than one occasion. I savored that touch, gaining an illicit thrill from any contact she freely gave me.

But it was pure innocence on her part, Romelle meaning nothing more than a kind friendship to me. The whole atmosphere in the room was like that, easy going and tension free, no expectations from either one of us. Pity Lotor wouldn't see it that way, the prince kicking in the door while I was in mid story. Tensing, I leapt to my feet, my chair toppling over at my sudden change of position.

Romelle remained seated, gasping loudly. I didn't turn to look at her, instead gazing at the visibly angry Prince of Doom. His lips were scowling, and his eyes were narrowed at me, an accusation in them. Could what happened have been averted if I had left Romelle's side just an hour earlier? But even without his jealousy roused, Lotor had clearly come to this room with a purpose in mind.

"Your highness." I did not dare bow more than the slightest nod of my head, too conscious of what might happen if I took my eyes off him. "Did you find your rat?"

"Yes...yes I did." He entered the room, the door falling shut behind him. "But I see now there is more than one rat to consider." My own eyes wanted to widen in shock at his meaning, even as I asked a question uneasily.

"Oh? Is there more than one?"

"I don't know Sabbath, you tell me." Lotor was prowling closer to me, but I held my ground. I would not run, and I would not cower before him. "Why am I not as surprised as I should be to find you here?"

"I'm not sure what you think is going on, but we were just talking." Romelle announced, and Lotor growled.

"I didn't ask you Romelle!" He arched one white brow at me. "Talking Sabbath? Is that what you were doing?"

"Yes. It was just some harmless conversation. The princess was curious about me and..." I trailed off, seeing how enraged Lotor seemed to grow at the thought of Romelle showing any kind of interest in me.

"You know what I think?" Lotor asked, then continued without waiting for my response. "I think you were doing more than just talking. I think, you're trying to move in on my territory."

"You're territory?" Romelle sounded aghast at that.

"You're always around her...always popping up to help her, to talk to her, to do nice things for her. You undermine my progress with your actions!"

"It's not done on purpose." I said quietly, and Lotor laughed. He was close enough to me that I could smell the stench coming off him. He reeked of beer and blood, the kind the soldiers brewed in the barracks. I could guess at the blood, thinking he had found Zarkon's informant and killed him. I was determined not to be the next body added to Lotor's tally of corpses.

"Then what do you think you are doing?" Lotor demanded. "Why concern yourself with another man's woman?"

"I am not your woman!" Romelle protested, but was ignored.

"It's..."

"It's what?" Lotor demanded. "Certainly you never cared about being friends with a prisoner before. Is that all it takes Sabbath? A pretty set of blue eyes, and you suddenly turn traitor to your prince and your Empire!"

"I have not turned traitor!" I snapped back, annoyed. "I have not done anything to support such a belief!"

"You better hope I don't find out otherwise!" Lotor growled, then thrust a finger in my face. He actually poked me between my eyes, hissing things at me. "There's going to be no more of this. No more seeing Romelle. No more talking to her, no more giving her gifts, you won't even so much as LOOK at her!"

"No! You can't do that!" Perhaps if Romelle had kept her tongue, it would have kept the situation from growing out of control.

"Oh? And why not?" Lotor demanded, peering over my shoulder at Romelle.

"He's my...he's my friend!" She announced, and Lotor smirked.

"A friend? Oh isn't that sweet...Let me tell you something princess. Drules don't make friends with women. There's only one two things we could ever want from a woman, family or a quick fuck. And you'll never give Sabbath either one of those!"

Romelle had gasped at his language, I could just imagine her face turning pale with shock.

"Understand now Romelle? He'll use you just as quick as any other Drule. You're better off with me."

"Why?" She demanded tartly. "Because you'll marry me?"

"I will make you a princess of the Doom Empire!" Roared Lotor, and he shoved me aside. It was a violent push, I stumbled before catching my footing. "And one day, when my father is gone, I will be King! And you will rule at my side with your cousin Allura!"

"You're insane!" Romelle said, as Lotor advanced on her. She hadn't the time to rise from her seat before he was in front of her, hands slamming down on the arm rests of her chair. It left her trapped, Lotor sneering directly into her face. "I will NEVER be yours! And neither will Allura!"

"You will! You will not only become my bride, you will do and speak as I demand!" Lotor snarled, practically spitting in her face. I was walking towards them, though I wasn't sure what I was about to do. Pull him away from her? And then what? He'd surely go ballistic.

My indecision cost Romelle, Lotor suddenly fisting the side of her hair. She cried out in pain when he used that grip to haul her up out of her seat, Lotor moving in for a kiss. There was none of his usual teasing or artful seduction, he went straight to shoving his tongue past her lips. She let out an indignant shriek, her hands rising as fists to beat at his chest. She even tried to pull his hair, Lotor responding with a growl and jerking harder on HER hair.

My inaction was at an end, I grabbed him by the arm that wasn't pulling on Romelle's hair. "Your highness!" He was reluctant to turn to face me, still trying to rape Romelle's mouth with his tongue. "LOTOR STOP!"

This time he did turn, but he kept his grip on Romelle's hair. His eyes which were more angry than aroused, glared at me. He seemed oblivious to the way Romelle

was pounding her fists on his chest, too focused on me now. That focus wasn't a good thing, and I almost took a step back.

"You best be leaving Commander." Lotor told me, and I shook my head.

"Not without you."

"Me? Don't be absurd. I have some things I must make Romelle understand." That was what I was afraid of. I pulled harder on his arm, as though I would physically drag him to the door.

"Now is not the time for that." I told Lotor.

"Oh but I think it is." He hissed. 'Now is the perfect time...for both of you to understand the situation as it was meant to be!" Romelle was looking like she wanted to spit, surely disgusted by the fact Lotor had had his tongue in her mouth. "Now I'll tell you one last time. Leave!"

"I won't." I refused. "I won't let you make this kind of mistake..." I barely got out the words when he punched me square in the face. It stunned me, leaving my dazed and seeing stars. I heard Romelle scream, and only then realized Lotor had let her go, and was punching me a second time.

"Sabbath!"

Romelle calling my name couldn't serve any purpose but to further enrage Lotor. He tried for a third punch, and I threw up my arms to cover my face. That blows of his hit my forearms, and then I was kicking out with my right leg. That knocked Lotor away from me, I was able to lower my arms and take stock of the situation. Romelle was still close to me, her hands over her mouth as she gasped.

"Sabbath, look out!"

Lotor barreled into me, taking me and the table I crashed into down. The legs simply collapsed from the violent force that had hit it. Lotor tried to punch me again, and I was throwing punches too, some landing, some not. We'd both begin wrestling, rolling about before we managed to lunge to our feet. I still felt disoriented from the blows to my face, but Lotor had to also being feeling the disorientation due to how drunk he was.

It put us on more even ground, but I was still conscious of how I had never beaten Lotor in a fair fight before. And from the looks of things, I wouldn't be doing that now. I grabbed for a piece of the broken table, intending to smash it down on Lotor's head. He dodged, leaving me to hit him in the shoulder. A grunt of pain came from the prince, and then he was grabbing me by my hair, slamming me face first into his knee.

I twisted in his hold, trying to get free. It wasn't working, so I pretended to go limp. That fooled the drunk into thinking I was defeated. Lotor let go of me, and I immediately stood up and threw my most vicious uppercut into his jaw. He cried out, then backhanded me across the face. I would follow up with my own back hand, and for a while we just traded punches in that manner.

We added our legs into the mix, kicking high and low, searching for openings on each other's bodies. And then Lotor pulled a dirty move, a knee hitting me right between the legs. That hurt like hell, and I cried out, hunching over as though I would try to protect my crotch from being kicked again. Lotor took advantage of my distraction, to smack me so hard, I fell over backwards. He fell on top of me, and began pummeling me all over.

I could have, should have died then, Lotor wasn't stopping. He had a wicked smile on his face, his eyes showing the frenzy of blood lust. He was going to kill me with his bare hands, and I was beyond stopping him at that point. My poor body, abused and in pain, might even be broken inside. I was bleeding heavily from the nose and the mouth, and the pain in my chest hinted that at least one rib had to be broken. And still he continued to have at me, until suddenly he stopped.

The voice of an angel spoke. I was confused until I realized it was Romelle, pulling on his arm, trying to get him to stop. She was crying, near hysterics, and still she thought to protect me. I'm not sure what she said, my ears were ringing too loudly for me to understand her words at that moment. But Lotor left me, and as I looked up at them, I saw him grabbing at her.

She paled and shrieked, the sound hurting my ears. She began hitting him once more, Lotor trying to kiss her as he dragged her away from me. I would scream too, in helpless fury, ordering him to leave her alone. Lotor just laughed, and threw her over his shoulder. Her hair obscured her face from me, but she was fighting even from that upside down position.

They'd move out of my view, Lotor taking her into the bedroom. Her shrieks would get louder, and I could heard the sound of clothing being ripped. I knew what he was trying to do, and even in all that pain, I moved to stop him. It hurt, and I had to drag myself forward with my hands. "Don't...don't you hurt her..." I rasped. My voice was weak, unable to properly convey my anger. But I felt it all the same.

I wouldn't get very far, I was in too much pain. The door was just out of my view, left open as though Lotor had wanted to give me a ring side seat to his violation of Romelle. I wasn't in any vantage point to see anything, but I could hear. The sounds disturbed me, Lotor alternating between guttural moans and vicious snarls. Romelle was weeping now, only occasionally letting out a scream. The sound of flesh hitting flesh was heard, it sicken me with how it repeated.

I tried to stay awake, though to what purpose that would serve I did not know. I heard another scream, from the sound of it, Lotor had slapped Romelle. It was then I began begging her to not fight him anymore, if only to save herself from further abuse. The sounds of her torment would continue, but I was long past remaining conscious. It might have been a blessing to pass out when I did, for it meant I could no longer feel pain or hear Romelle's rape. I gave into the blackness with a sigh, and then there was nothing.

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Feli3, thanks. Though I don't know about good. X_X *nervous about this chapter.*


	22. Chapter 22

I must have been out of it for hours, just laying there blissfully unaware. My position on the floor did not help soothe my injuries, the thin carpet hardly being an ideal bed to recuperate on. Pain and disorientation were twin sensations that greeted me as I slowly started to drift awake. I made a sound so unlike me. It wasn't a whimper, but neither was it the sound of a strong and healthy Drule male.

"Sabbath!" A voice called out to me, sounding stricken with tears. I groaned again, wanting nothing more than to slip back to sleep's embrace. But the voice wouldn't let me, calling out to me again and again. It must have said more than my name, but it took so much effort just to concentrate on the sound of the voice. I was beyond understanding the meaning behind the words.

"Sabbath please..." More insistent was the voice, touch being added to it's arsenal. I could feel the hesitation in that touch, shaky and unsure. It settled in my hair, quivering in the only place that was safe to touch on me. My whole body ached, a fiery pain coursing it's way through much of me. Even breathing was painful, my chest tight with discomfort. I wanted nothing more than to sink back into the comfort sleep offered.

"Open your eyes..." The voice pleaded with me. I was content to ignore it, and the way the hand was petting nervously over my braided hair, it was lulling me back to sleep. "Please...I..." The voice broke on a sob, then whimpered. I frowned, trying to understand why the pain in that voice might affect me so. I cracked open an eye, and discovered I wasn't capable of more than squinting for my eye had swollen shut.

Alarmed, I opened both eyes. The light of the room hurt them, leaving me squinting even more. But with that first peek, I saw enough to realize where I was. I groaned out loud, almost protesting and saw a pale face streaked with tears. Romelle hadn't realized I had opened my eyes, weeping softly. Was it my condition that affected her so? Or was it her own miserable state that moved her to tears?

It might have been both, Romelle frightened and in pain, and fearing she was losing the one friend she had on planet Doom. Not that my friendship had done much for her. If anything it had hurt her, brought the prince's wrath down on us both. I groaned again, remembering how angry and sick with jealousy Lotor had been. Memories flooded me, making me relieve the pain of his punches all over again.

The pain was nothing when I remembered what he had done to Romelle, the screaming and sounds I had heard. I looked at her more fully now, trying to see how badly she had been hurt. Her own face bore a large bruise on it's right cheek. He had struck her there, probably in an attempt to get her under control. Her hair was in disarray, the first time I had ever seen so much as a tangle in it.

I couldn't see much of her body. Romelle had wrapped a bed sheet around her, the tattered remains of her lavender dress peeking out from underneath it. But the sight of blood on the sheet stopped me cold. It was more than just the blood of virginity lost. She had splatters all over the sheet, Lotor having bled her with his claws. I started to shake, with fury and fear, wondering if there was no end to his brutality.

Romelle felt my shaking. It drew a gasp from her, the girl peering at me, seeing me for the first time, "Sabbath!"

"Romelle..." My voice was hoarse, as though from the screaming my soul had done. "Where...?" My gaze slid away from hers, almost frantic as I tried to look around the room without moving my head.

"He's gone." She quickly assured me. "He's gone..."

But I didn't know for how long Lotor would stay away. Nor did I know how much time had passed. I'd later find out he had finished with Romelle, then stormed away, pausing only long enough to give a drunken, malicious kick to my side. Romelle herself would lay in the bed for hours, too frightened and sore to move. Frankly I was surprised she'd recover enough to gather her wits about her, or that she'd care enough about a man, a Drule, to come check on my condition.

"Gone..." I repeated with a rasp. I wasn't relieved to hear it, fearing he would come back at any moment. Would he be worse sober? I did not know then. But I knew enough to know real fear, experiencing it for the both of us.

"Oh no! Don't try to sit up!" Romelle exclaimed when I attempted to move. The pain was horrible, especially in my chest area. Lotor had been especially vicious there, focusing his punches so that at the very least he bruised my ribs. I was thinking something had to be broken, and was hoping I'd get off with only a broken rib or two. But the pain was such I couldn't hope to accurately diagnose what was wrong with me.

"NGh..." With Romelle's hands trying to push me back down, I rolled onto my back. I saw the blood on the carpet and on my clothes, having bled heavily from the injuries to my face. If I concentrated, there was the metallic taste of blood on my tongue, no doubt from my lip that had split.

The room spun around dizzily when I tried to sit up, I actually swayed in place, Romelle's hands trying to support me. She was so careful in how she tried to touch me, as though Romelle feared I would break even further. Her gentle care moved me, reaching past the pain and disorientation, to gain a tighter grip on my heart. I pushed past the throbbing of my head, trying to focus on her face. My hand started to raise, I wanted to touch the cheek that had not bruised. But like with porcelain, I was scared she might shatter at my touch.

We were both broken, inside and out, shaking with fear and the relief that we had somehow survived the ordeal. Though it might be too soon to decide that. Especially with a tormentor as violent and unpredictable as prince Lotor is.

"Did...are..." I would have shook my head then, but the slightest movement had nausea rising up within me. So many questions came with that feeling, ones I was sure I knew the answer to. How could I ask if she was all right? It was as plain as the nose on my face that she wasn't, that he had hurt her. Nor would Romelle try to reassure me and insist she was fine when she wasn't. Instead she would catch at my hand, bringing it to her uninjured side, and pressing her cheek to it. Her tears seemed to flow faster at that shared touch, the last thing I wanted was for her to cry!

"I'm sorry." I rasped out in apology.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Romelle said, but that was a lie. I knew then I should have helped her to escape, I should have tried harder to save her. Anything to avoid this crime being committed on her. "Oh no don't!" She begged, when my eyes started to close. She thought I was going back to sleep, and it frightened her the thought of being abandoned again. "Please don't leave me..."

"I won't..." It might have been a false promise, I was in so much pain. But also, I knew that if Lotor came back, he might finish me off. Or at the very least, have me dragged from Romelle's side.

"Thank you. Oh thank you!" Romelle said, clinging to the hand she held to her face. I was uncomfortable with her thanks, feeling I had done nothing to earn it.

"Don't thank me..." I rasped, frustrated I couldn't manage more than a gruff whisper. She gave me a quizzical, tear streaked look. "Didn't do anything..."

"You did everything you could have last night." Romelle quickly protested. "You tried to stop him..."

"Failed in that." I pointed out, and she seemed to cry harder. She couldn't deny it either, her pain and injuries proof of the free reign Lotor had had with her body. I felt awful that I had quickened her tears, and yet my mind didn't want to work to think up a solution with how to stop them. I was clumsy and slow in my way of thinking, and close to retching.

Eyes lowered, she would pull away from me. I tried to turn to follow her, and almost gagged on bile. She was limping noticeably, walking with the pain of one who had been savaged by a monster. And yet, save for a few whimpers, she bravely went to get the pitcher of water. She would return to my side, slowly lowering herself to her knees. Water would be dabbed on a napkin, Romelle bringing it to my face.

Her touch was so gentle, and still it hurt. I hissed and flinched, and her face crumpled. She dropped the napkin, both her hands flying to cover her face. Her shoulders shook with the violence her sobs, Romelle breaking down. It was too much for her. this strong, courageous girl having suffered one too many upsets in the last few hours. I don't think she was crying for me, not really. Maybe not even for herself, Romelle too shell shocked and frightened to make much sense of the brutalities that had happened to us both.

Her tears made ME want to cry, and I found myself struggling towards her. I moved to envelope her in my arms, and she tensed to scream. It was too soon, too quick for her to be held by a man. It rose unwanted memories in her, Romelle panicking and striking out with her hand. She slapped me across my bruised cheek, and I almost went down from the blow.

"Sabbath!" She exclaimed, horrified when she realized what she had done. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" She immediately touched me. It seemed Romelle was okay with touching as long as it was she who initiated it.

I grunted in reply, fighting the urge to be sicker than I already was. Stars seemed to have exploded before my vision from her blow, I was sure she had only succeeded in aggravating my condition. "It's fine..." I lied, shrugging off her touch. I moved, gripping the nearest object which was shelves mounted to the wall. With their help, I was able to pull my unsteady self upright. Romelle rose with me, her arms extend forward as though she would try to catch me.

"You shouldn't be moving!" She exclaimed.

"No, I shouldn't." She looked surprised by my agreement. "But you need a doctor. We BOTH need a doctor." She couldn't even deny the truth of it, for we were both in bad shape.

"Don't leave me.." She begged instead. My heart, already hers, throbbed at the pleading note in her voice. She was scared to be alone, but Romelle had to know that in my condition, if Lotor chose to come back, there'd be no way I could protect her. I wouldn't be able to do more than die on his sword, so injured was I.

"I won't be gone long..." I said instead. "I promise..."

She didn't look like she believed me, Romelle lowering her gaze to the floor. I held back a sigh, and gingerly took a step away from her. Her hand touched my back, stilling me. "The prince..."

I couldn't make any promises where Lotor was concerned. "Yes?" I turned to look at her, and she was turning red from embarrassment.

"He..." She exhaled a shaky breath, it was visibly costing her to say this. "He didn't use any protection." I wasn't surprised, though I felt pity to hear that. I didn't think he had purposefully set out to try and impregnate Romelle before they were married, but with Lotor one could never be sure. "Please...I'm not on any pills. I...I don't want to give birth to that monster's child...!"

I realized what Romelle was asking me, my gaze shocked. But I was prepared to do what needed to be done, even if it would be the act of a traitor. "Romelle...are you sure?" A quick nod, the girl unable to meet my eyes. She was shamed but certain of her choice. "Then I will have the doctor prepare the potion."

Relief colored her eyes. Had she thought I would refuse her? "Thank you." Romelle whispered, following me as I walked to the room's door. I fumbled through my pockets, looking for the card key that would unlock the door. The doors in the castle had a self locking mechanism, it activated each time the door swung shut. Those of high enough rank had card keys that would grant access to most rooms in the castle. I was fortunate enough to be one of those, though I didn't know for how much longer I would enjoy such a privilege.

"I will be back as soon as I can." I told her, before stepping out into the hall. Lotor hadn't bothered to replace the guard I had paid off, as though he didn't care what happened next. I thought it was a sign of how careless his drink had made him.

"Hurry." Romelle whispered, as the door swung shut. I would try, I really would. But my pain made my movements slow. I was practically limping myself, trying not to hunch over, and avoiding people and objects so as not to jostle myself any further. I didn't know what time it was, but by the fact that it was mostly servants and slaves I saw, I knew it had to be early morning on Doom.

The doctor however, was already up, tending to his duties inside the medical facility that took up one wing of the castle. I didn't wait for the nurses to track him down, seeking him out, and presenting him with the pitiable sight of me. His eyes widened, he immediately wanted to exam me. But I shrugged him off. "There's someone who needs you more." I told him.

The doctor, an elderly Drule whose bald head had nothing to do with aging, and everything to do with what type of Drule he was, nodded. He was accepting of what I said. He might even look a bit astonished, silver eyes curious as he gathered his things into a black case. "If he's worse off than you, I have no doubt about that."

"It's not a he, it's a she." I corrected, watching him packing his bag. "She's been...brutalized. The victim of a rape."

Rape is an odd thing on Doom. It's not a crime to rape a slave, in fact it's generally expected it will happen if the slave is beautiful or handsome. Hell, if the slave is pretty enough to attract a Drule's attention, it will happen. And yet, it's against our laws for a noble to be victimized in that manner. The doctor knew this well, and the fact

that I had said it was a rape concerned him.

"Will she submit to a rape kit?"

I gave him a bleak look. "There's no need. It was the prince who did it." The doctor hissed in surprise, then nodded, understanding. Lotor, as the crown prince of Doom, would be exempt from all charges, even if it was a noble who had been the victim of his crimes. He pretty much had free reign to do as he liked, and only his father could truly exact punishment on him. I doubted Zarkon would care about Romelle's plight, but the doctor had sworn an oath to help everyone, regardless of race or status.

"You'll have to make a potion." I lowered my voice. We were alone in a room, but I wanted no one to hear. It wasn't a light thing I suggested, to abort a potential heir of the crown. "She doesn't want to end up pregnant from this rape."

The doctor's eyes widened, he was shaking his head no. "I can't go that far."

"You can and you will." I advanced on him as aggressively as I could. He merely looked at me with pity for I was a pathetic sight. I couldn't even stand straight, how could I ever hope to intimidate him. "You will make this potion for her, or the Gods help me, you will be assisting in the abortion should the prince's seed prove fertile in her womb."

I turned pleading when he still remained steadfast in his refusal. "She's liable to do anything to keep a baby from being born of this rape. She'll hurt herself, and she'll damn well hurt the baby too. Do you want that on your shoulders?"

"No." admitted the doctor at last. "But if the prince finds out..."

"He'll never hear it from me, or from the princess." I told him. It moved him to pack the potion into his bag, putting the contents into an unmarked vial. I was relieved then, but I couldn't relax. Not until I delivered the doctor to Romelle's apartment. It would take us some time to reach it, the delays all the fault of the pained state of my body. More than once we had to stop for me to recover, the doctor eyeing my with concern. But I refused to let him examine me first, nor did I want to leave Romelle alone for longer than necessary.

Romelle would be lurching to her feet when we entered her apartment. She looked like a nervous bird poised for flight, and her unease seemed to increase at the sight of the doctor. It might have been better for her if the doctor had been female, but this Drule was the only one on staff at the moment.

"This is the princess Romelle." I said by way of introduction. The Doctor nodded, and bowed to her. She gave a quick nod back, seeming to clutch at the sheet wrapped around her. "Romelle, this is Doctor Shabatoba."

Neither one of them could claim it was a pleasure, not under these circumstances. Shabatoba didn't mince words, gesturing for Romelle to precede him into the bedroom. She hesitated, and I realized why, the princess not wanting to return to the scene of the crime committed against her.

"What is it?" Shabatoba wanted to know. "What's the matter."

"The...assualt...it took place in this apartment." I explained, and Shabatoba's eyes lightened with understanding.

"Then if it's all right with you princess, we'll conduct the examination on the couch." Romelle nodded, though her unease hadn't lessened. I wasn't sure for certain, was it the doctor upsetting her, or the fact that I was present? Would she want me to leave? The doctor certainly expected me to, giving me a gentle nudge towards the door.

"I'll be right outside." I began to say, and Romelle quickly protested.

"No don't!"

"Romelle?" I looked questioningly at her, and she flushed.

"Please stay." She whispered, and I glanced to the doctor as though he could tell me what to do.

"If she has no problem with you being here, than neither do I." He began to open his bag, pulling out his instruments and the potion.

"All right then." I said, and Romelle seemed to wilt with relief. She sat when the doctor told her to, but insisted on holding my hand. I turned my head to the side when the doctor began to unravel the bed sheet, trying to respect Romelle's privacy in this moment. But I still saw out the corner of my eye how torn up her dress was, Lotor having used his claws to shred the bodice. The skirt had all but been ripped free of her dress, and there was blood on her thighs. She hadn't attempted to clean herself, perhaps too sick with worry over my state to be concerned with herself. It would be one way Romelle was able to cope with what happened, focusing on a more current problem, than the crime she had suffered through.

Doctor Shabatoba was examining her carefully, keeping his face blank of expression. I focused on looking elsewhre, but I'd never forget the amount of bruising on Romelle's thighs, and the deep cuts in her hips where Lotor's claws had dug in for a better grip. Later, when the doctor was done examining her lower half, I would see all the claw marks in Romelle's back, Lotor having shown no care at all to the girl as he scratched her up. Her arms had bruises from his fingers, and the doctor seemed to think he might have sprained her wrist by crushing it in his powerful grip.

Romelle would be given pills for the pain, though they could only help numb her body's discomfort. Shabatoba could do nothing for the pain of her experience, her memories, could do nothing to stop it if she chose to relive the experience in her mind. He would also give her the potion, being careful to clearly paint out what it would do to her. She didn't hesitate, drinking it down in three gulps. Romelle didn't even complain about it's taste, quickly wrapping herself up in the blanket once more.

Romelle didn't want to be alone, but when the doctor made a case of how severe my injuries were, she reluctantly conceded to let me go. I was proud of her for not becoming hysterical, the princess not so much as crying as she followed us to the door. I was loathe to leave her, practically being dragged out the room by the doctor. He would sigh and shake his head once out in the hall, regret in his eyes.

"The prince was pretty brutal with her."

"You have no idea." Said I.

"She's lucky she didn't bleed more." Shabatoba added. "He seemed to show no care or concern for her. She's fortunate there wasn't any tearing." I felt ill to hear how much worse it could have been, nearly vomiting out in the hall. Shabatoba would take that as a sign to stop talking about Romelle's situation, the Drule taking my arm and helping me back to the castle's medical facilities. There I would go through an intense examination, the x-rays showing I did indeed have a broken rib, two of them in fact. I was lucky the one hadn't punctured my lung, and I was wound up in bandages around my chest and torso area. I was bruised all over, and someone showed me a mirror, revealing how mangled my face was.

But the injuries would heal given time. And in the long run, they were nothing compared to the injuries done to Romelle, her very soul damaged by Lotors' cruelty. He had hurt her, and shattered her innocence. And yet he hadn't come close to breaking her. Romelle was just that strong, a survivor through and through, and no matter how often Lotor would come to revisit such crimes against her, she would continue to preserver.

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Feli3, thank you so much for the reassurance. :) Ah...I worry that it's hard to believe that Lotor doesn't kill Sabbath during several courses of the story...Not just the situation in 21...it also makes it frustrating at times, since I felt like my hands were as tied as Sabbath's when it came to acting. Like I knew if he did and said more he'd get killed and then the story would be over. The beating and rape is a defining moment...however it's not what gets Romelle off of Doom...I still have a lot of episodes to cover...but it is a defining moment. Sabbath gets a lot more vocal, not to mention beaten up a lot more in upcoming chapters for speaking his mind, for things that happen, that include Romelle's own feelings for him. Originally when I began to think of this story, I had two scenes strong in my mind. Sabbath laying there beaten badly, as Lotor rapes Romelle...and the other scene which happens much later...The other scene was meant to be the ending scene, but thankfully I realized the story would be incomplete if I ended it there with Sabbath's revelation. When I get to that scene, I'll be sure to have an author's note that details what I had originally saw as the ending point of the story. It's amazing how the story evolved from what I initially planned! Thanks again!


	23. Chapter 23

I didn't want to, but I would spend some time recovering in the hospital. My injuries were such that Doctor Shabatoba insisted on it, the old Drule going so far as to administered a tranquilizer among the many shots he gave me. The tranquilizer was fast acting, I didn't even have time to register my surprise. Nor could I do more than give him a betrayed look, slumping down on the bed.

I would be out like a light once my head hit the pillows. So effective was the tranquilizer that I didn't even dream. There was nothing but a forced peace to my sleep, and I was out for hours. Even once the tranquilizer wore off, my body needed rest so desperately that I stayed asleep. It wouldn't be until the next morning that I awoke, and I announced my return to consciousness with an angry shout.

"Shabatoba!"

It was as though he had been waiting for me to awaken, the doctor soon appearing before me. A nurse accompanied him, moving to check on my bandages but I waved her off. She gave a questioning look to Shabatoba, who nodded. She let out a put upon sigh, but left me alone, actually leaving the room to tend to a more agreeable patient.

"Shabatoba, you had no right." I growled at him. He didn't try to play dumb, nor did he look bothered by my threatening growl.

"Some would say I had every right." The doctor replied. "Your injuries are such that you needed the rest." A pointed look then. "You still need it..."

"That's not important right now." I said, moving gingerly off the bed. Pain flared, hot and intense, throbbing through me at my movements. The doctor seemed to sense what was going on, Shabatoba giving me a pointed look. "I've left her all alone..." I told him, feeling horrible to have abandoned Romelle during her time of need.

"It couldn't be helped." He said, with a shrug of his shoulders. "You both needed this time...time to heal your wounds."

"Damn it, she may not have the time to do that!" I snapped at him, leaning against the side of the bed. I was trying to figure out what they had done with my shirt, and trying to act as if I wasn't needing the bed's support to stay upright. "The prince..."

"Even if you were there...in your current condition, do you really think you'd be able to stop him from abusing her further?" I hated him for that bit of spoken reason, and all because it was true. If I hadn't been able to stop Lotor before my injuries, what hope did I have now?

"You know I'm right." Shabatoba added, though there was no smugness in his tone. I sagged in place, defeated for the moment. Shabatoba rummaged through his jacket's pocket, pulling out a bottle of pills. "These will help to numb the pain you are feeling. Take no more than two every four hours.

I eyed the pills with suspicion, not trusting that they would put me to sleep. The doctor didn't quite laugh, trying to reassure me. "There's a mild sedative in there, but nothing that will knock you out on it's own. It's not like the tranquilizer I gave you..."

"How long was I out?" I demanded, and he hesitated. "How long?"

"Nearly twenty hours."

Twenty hours? That left Romelle alone and at Lotor's mercy for nearly a full day. What must she be thinking to have been abandoned by me for so long? "I've got to go." I said, still holding the bottle. The pain flared stronger at my hurried attempt at movements. I had spied my shirt, someone had draped it over a chair in the corner of the room.

"I suppose you do." The doctor was frowning.

"You won't try to stop me this time?" I was surprised.

"Commander, I can only keep you from her for a limited amount of time. Sooner or later you will go to her...and the Gods help you both when you do."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, my own frown mirroring his.

He gave me a look, as though I was stupid. "I may not know all the details of what went down that night. But it's clear to me you were injured trying to protect the princess from the prince. I dare say you would attempt to do just that again if he attempts to repeat his crime." He seemed to shudder then. "You barely survived his brutality once...do you really think you could manage to do that a second time?"

I could vaguely remember Romelle being the one to stop Lotor from finishing me off, distracting him to the point he turned his violence on her. I didn't want to be in that position again, didn't want Romelle to have to be victimized in order to save me from death at Lotor's hands.

"No." I said quietly.

"Then you should think very carefully on what your next move would be." He watched as I slowly began doing up the buttons of my shirt, a calculating look in his eyes.

"I suppose you have some suggestions for me?"

"Stay away from the girl." He said, and held a hand for silence when I tried to protest. "I don't know what your attachment is to her, and frankly I don't care. No human is worth dying over."

"Then you don't know the princess the way I do." I growled back.

"How well can you say you know her?" demanded the doctor. "No, don't bother answering. It doesn't matter. You will die commander, if you keep at a friendship with her. Even I have heard of the prince's...infatuation with the girl. It's as bad as the obsession he has with Allura of Arus. Maybe even worse, because unlike Allura, the princess Romelle is within his reach now."

"All the more reason I have to protect her!" I pointed out, agitated as I pocketed the pill bottle. "Don't you see doctor? There's no one left...no one at all...The prince will do as he like, again and again..."

"And he'll most likely continue long after you have been killed." The doctor was irritated with me.

"I won't die." I insisted. "Nor can I leave things the way they are..."

"You're a damn fool..." He grumbled. I would have shrugged, but my body hurt too much for even that simple action. Instead I walked towards the room's exit, listening to the doctor complain. "A damn bloody fool...dying for that which you cannot save..."

Is it really that hopeless, I wondered. And yet I wasn't changing my resolution to protect Romelle, pulling open the door. The doctor's voice stopped me, he had one last thing to say. "He never came to see you."

"He?" I had a pretty good idea I knew who he referred to, but I wanted it confirmed.

"The prince." Clarified Shabatoba. "He didn't give a damn to find out if you were gonna live or die after what he did."

I said nothing to that, walking out of the room. But inwards I was frowning, thinking that this was it then. The proof that the friendship I had thought I had with Lotor had never been real. I had had doubts of it from the moment he began to beat me. That he couldn't even be bothered to check up on me, to see if was all right after what he had done, well...it hurt. But then the truth usually did.

It also made me feel like a fool, and I was left wondering how I could have ever made the mistake of thinking Lotor and I were friends. Men like Lotor never truly formed attachments, certainly not to other men. He was content to use me for his amusement, and then toss me aside once I became too inconvenient. That realization hurt, but nowhere near as much as the pain my body was in.

I actually stopped in the hall to pull out the pill bottle, looking over the label. It seemed harmless enough, and the pain was so great I ended up swallowing down two pills. All in the hopes some of the throbbing would stop. It wasn't a fast acting medicine though, and I grumbled under my breath as I continued on my way. It was another early morning in the castle, so there was only slaves and servants to still me shambling along, muttering things under my breath.

Eventually I would reach the corridor where Lotor and Romelle's apartments were kept. I was determined to see Romelle, and yet now that I was there, I felt doubts and worries fill me. What if Lotor was in the room with her? What if he was raping her even as I arrived? I wouldn't be able to bear it if he was, and I found myself praying that he had enough sense to leave Romelle alone so soon after he had so viciously hurt her.

The guard I had paid off was standing by the door, half asleep on his feet. But he seemed to become more alert when he recognized me, a sly look in his eyes as he tried to barter with me for the right to enter the princess' apartment. To get him out of my way, I ended up giving him all the money I had on me, the greedy guard pocketing it all. He didn't even try to count it, just smiling a satisfied smile as he stepped out of my way.

I fumbled with my card key, half surprised that it still worked on the lock of Romelle's rooms. But it did, the door opening, the brief chatter of females talking dying down as they turned to see who was intruding on them. I myself was stunned to see them, standing there stupidly in the doorway and counting heads. There was five women in all, and that included Romelle. She was seated on the couch in between two of the women, but when she realized who I was, she slowly rose to her feet.

"You came back!"

I blinked slowly, trying to recover from my shock. Just what were these women doing here? I could see they were slaves by the rags they were dressed in. They might have even been the women who had shared a cell with Romelle, although they had gone through a through cleaning if they were.

"Of course I came back." I finally said in reply to Romelle's words. "I promised I would." I stepped into the room, door falling close behind me. The women were watching me, nervous and wary because of what I was. Only Romelle was different, relief in her eyes to see me. She looked overwhelmed, and I feared she might cry. Had she really thought I had abandoned her? After all I had risked to try and keep the prince off her?

"I'm sorry I did not return sooner." I told her. "Doctor Shabatoba...he means well, but that doesn't excuse the fact he drugged me to ensure I would get some rest."

"He drugged you..." She repeated, and I nodded. "You must have needed the sleep very much indeed."

"I suppose so..." I sighed, and Romelle gestured for me to approach her.

"Please...sit." The other two women got off the couch, seeming loathe to share a seat with me.

"I'm fine, really..." But my body was desperate to relax. With a minimal amount of protests, Romelle got me to sit down. She didn't join me immediately, speaking to the women and sending one to prepare drinks. I didn't track that girl's movements, keeping my attention focused on Romelle. The question must have shown in my eyes, Romelle sighing.

"They're a gift from prince Lotor." She said by way of explanation.

"A gift?" So they WERE slaves. But I wonder what reason Lotor could have for giving them to Romelle.

She looked downwards, playing her fingers nervously on her skirt. "He claims he is sorry for what happened." She was angry as she spoke, starting to shake. "That he wants to make it up to me..."

Another shock so quickly on the heels of the first one, my mouth falling open. And then it happened, I laughed, the sound rude and vicious in it's bitter amusement. "I don't believe it." I told her when I managed to calm my laughter. "The only time he's ever sorry is when his neck is on his father's chopping block."

"Truthfully, I don't believe it either." She admitted. "But what else could I do...? To reject his gift was to endanger these women. At least with me, they won't suffer as badly..."

The slave returned with a tray, tea cups that were steaming balanced on it's surface. Romelle took one for herself, waiting until I began to drink my own tea before taking a sip of hers. I looked at the slave to nod my thanks, and was filled with shocking recognition. It was the very slave girl who Lotor had ordered to whip, the one who had accidentally spilled the wine on Romelle's dress. That night seemed like it had happened an eternity ago, and I realized then I had never gotten a chance to tell Romelle the condition of the slave.

She recognized me too, nodding slightly in response. "This is Kathryn." Romelle said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. She then preceded to tell me the names of the other three women, but the wary looks never left their eyes.

"How are you?" Romelle then asked, and I paused with the cup before my lips.

"Isn't that my question?"

"Oh please. Don't try to divert my concern." Romelle said.

"We were both hurt." I pointed out. "We can be concerned together."

"Yes, but answer my question first." Insisted Romelle. She came to sit down besides me, her expression concerned as she looked me over. I knew I wasn't a pretty sight, with bruises and swelling all over my face.

"Two ribs." I gruffly admitted. "He broke two ribs." Her hands began to shake, and I quickly tried to reassure her. "I'm fine otherwise. Just a bit sore..." I set the empty cup aside, patting my pocket. "The doctor has given me plenty of pain medication. Works like a charm."

"If it's anything like the medicine the doctor gave me, I don't doubt that." Romelle was sad though. I wondered how much pain was being numbed by Shabatoba's pills, having noted how she was no longer unsteady on her feet. But it was obvious she was still in pain. It showed in the way she moved, every gesture slow and hesitant. There was a soft fabric bandage around her right wrist, confirming that Lotor had indeed sprained it on her.

"I'm sorry." It was simple, and not able to convey all my regrets to her. She just sighed, and looked away, leaving me to flounder for something to say. I didn't want to ask if Lotor had tried to have sex with her again, and yet I was worrying about just that. I knew him, he wouldn't be content with just one time, especially not with a girl who fueled his obsessions so thoroughly.

"I wish I had done something differently..." I ended up saying.

"You did all you could..."

"No, I did not!" I interrupted her. I glanced at the slaves who were huddled over in a corner of the room. They were intent on staying as far away from me as possible. I was conscious of them, and worried they would betray us, all in the hopes of improving their situation by playing spy to prince Lotor.

"We can't change the past." Romelle told me. I wondered if she sensed what I had been thinking, how I was regretting not trying to help her escape back when she had asked me to.

"It was wrong of me..." I was remorseful. "I should have..." I trailed off, shaking my head. "You're right...the past is set in stone, but the future is not."

"Sabbath?" The wheels were turning in my head, I was trying to think past the pain and the mugginess that was starting to fill me. The doctor had said the medicine had a mild sedative in it, and it appeared to be taking effect. I felt tired, but I fought the urge to sleep, trying to stay focused on Romelle.

"Just be ready." I said a last.

"Ready for what?" I did a subtle glance at the slaves, trying to hint at how I didn't want them to overhear. Her eyes widened, and Romelle parted her lips. "Sabbath, I have to tell you something..."

"Princess..." Kathryn spoke up, and I was suspicious of her timing. "Would you like me to refill your cup?" There had been a warning note in her voice, there was something she didn't want Romelle to tell me. I wondered what.

Romelle looked down at her near full cup, and shook her head. "No, it's fine. But the commander could use another refill." Kathryn hurried to do just that, and I felt the woman's eyes on me as I began to drink. That made me suspicious, Kathryn the slave looking far too eager for me to drink.

"What?" I demanded, and was too sluggish to form a proper suspicion. I could tell there was something wrong with the situation, with this slave, and yet I couldn't figure out what was bothering me. "What is it?"

"It's nothing." Romelle said, and sipped at her tea. I set down my half empty cup, and stood, tense and angry now, and fighting the effects of the pills. "Sabbath, don't..."

"Don't what?" I demanded, and she gave me a pointed look.

"You're scaring them." It was true too, the women were wide eyed and clinging to each other. They had seen the anger on my face, and they didn't like it. I was rueful as I apologized, but I didn't sit down. Not even when the room began spinning around me, leaving me dizzy and unsteady on my feet. Romelle's voice was like a distant echo, the girl telling me she was sorry.

"Sorry for what?" I was distracted with how the room spun, and how the slaves' faces all blurred together as I looked at them. I could remember thinking that Doctor Shabatoba had tricked me again, these weren't mild sedatives but something powerful. And then I hit the floor, my body screaming in protest at the sudden jarring to it. Even the fresh wave of pain wasn't enough to shake me out of sleep's stranglehold, my eyes were already closing.

Voices talked around me, female whispers. Someone was touching me, rooting through my clothing. For what I did not know. And then I heard screaming, the women panicked. I feared it meant Lotor had returned, and didn't understand they were screaming about my collapse. Someone rushed inside, I would recognize his voice as that of the guard I had paid off. He didn't react fast enough for Romelle's liking, she was screaming at him to hurry and bring the doctor. There was a complication with my injuries.

The guard was hesitant, but as the shrieking females continued to badger him, he ran off to do as they said. The shrieks would continue for several more seconds, than die down. I would hear the door open and close, and then nothing. I tried to speak, but my tongue felt too heavy to form the words. And soon I could no longer fight off sleep, passing out for the second time on the floor of Romelle's apartment.

To Be Continued!

Michelle


	24. Chapter 24

It was becoming a habit with me, passing out in unexpected places. But this time there was no Romelle to hover concerned over me. What I got instead, was the unpleasant sight of Prince Lotor, the prince jerking on my hair. From the feel of it, he had been pulling on my braids for a while now, and I was surprise none of them had snapped free of my scalp.

"Good, you're awake." Lotor hissed, still holding onto my hair. He was holding me at an awkward angle, my head bowed back. I was on my knees, and at the moment the only thing that kept me from slumping down was the hold on my hair. My face hurt even more than it had before my impromptu nap, and I realized Lotor must have been slapping me in an attempt to rouse me from my sleep. Those slaps would only serve to aggravate my injuries, but then Lotor didn't care how much harm he did to me.

"Where's...where's Romelle?" I asked, concerned when I realized I was still in her apartment. Lotor's eyes narrowed, but not before I saw the fury flare up in those golden depths.

"Funny, that's what I want to know!" I was confused, brow furrowing as I frowned. How could he not know where Romelle was? But Lotor had no patience or pity for my slow thought process, back handing me across the face. I almost bit my tongue in reaction, stunned by the blow. He raised his hand to give me another slap, and a voice called out to him.

"That's more than enough your highness." It was Doctor Shabatoba who spoke, his voice calm. "If you keep hitting him like that, he'll only pass out. And then you may never find out what you want to know."

I saw Lotor scowl at that, he didn't like what the doctor had said, but knew it to be the truth. I was visibly on the edge of unconsciousness, mind still sluggish from the medicine the doctor had given me.

I rolled my eyes towards the figure of the doctor, and mumbled an accusation. "Thought you said those pills were only a mild sedative."

"They were." The doctor's answer made me frown. "So long as they weren't mixed with something else."

"What else could there be?" I asked, and it was Lotor who snarled out an answer.

"The pain pills you so thoughtfully procured for Romelle!" I must have looked as blank as I felt, Lotor turning exasperated. "Don't you get it commander? She drugged you!"

"No..."

"YES! She purposefully played on your friendship, and used you to advance her own plans." I almost smiled, which only annoyed Lotor further. "She betrayed you!"

"She only did what she had to, to get away from you." I pointed out, which earned another slap from Lotor. I was seeing stars in place of him, but could still hear Lotor's voice.

"She can't have gotten very far. None of them could have." Lotor was muttering.

"Calm down, you'll find them." Shabatoba was trying to soothe the prince's temper.

"You better hope I do." Lotor growled. "I've not forgotten it was medication you prescribed that helped aid her in this escape!" He let go of my hair, actually throwing me against the floor. "I hold the both of you accountable for what has happened!"

I pushed up off the floor, but stayed on my knees. "If any one is at fault, it's you." I told Lotor, who whirled to face me. He looked so angry, I was surprise he hadn't drawn his sword yet. "You're the one who committed countless crimes against her. You're the one who raped her, who brutalized her so savagely there was blood everywhere!"

"Shut up!" snapped Lotor, but I refused.

"Doctor Shabatoba can tell you. He saw the marks on her body, the damage you had done. You nearly tore her up from the inside out!" I got another back hand to the face, and I fell over backwards onto the floor. Lotor's sword was at my throat, he was breathing heavily. "It's the ugly truth...and nothing you can say or do will fix what you have done! She'll never love you, never even care for you! And when her cousin Allura finds out what you did, what you are really like, she will hate you too!"

I honestly thought he would end it there, slice open my throat in order to silence me once and for all. His arm was shaking with his tension, my own eyes were goading him on. I almost wanted to die, almost felt like I could go in peace now that Romelle had escaped from him.

But the killing blow never came, Lotor gaining control of himself. "No." He shook his head, pulling back his sword. "No. You won't get off so easily. I won't let you escape your punishment."

"Punishment? What worse could you do to me?" I demanded. Lotor gave me a look that was pure evil in it's malicious delight. I shivered in response, seeing how he was anticipating whatever tortures he wanted to visit on me.

"Trust me commander, when I say there are worse things to be had. You think what I did to Romelle was bad? That was nothing compared to what I will do to her now..."

"You shouldn't hurt her to punish me!" I cried out, and he laughed, sounding mean and cruel.

"But it's such an effective way to hurt you." I knew he was right too, shivering in fear before him. "You fool. Caring for that girl. What is wrong with you? Do you think you love her? Is that why you go to such extremes to protect her?"

I didn't know how to answer him. Was it love I felt for Romelle? I knew enough to recognize it was more than just a simple attraction. I cared for her, thought her my friend. And if I looked closer at my feelings, then yes...I was falling in love with her. Had been for a while, each encounter only strengthening my feelings for her. And with that realization, shame flooded me, leaving me wondering what was wrong with me that I hadn't tried to save her sooner. Why was it everything I did came too late? Even my thoughts of trying to help her escape Lotor had come too late, Romelle raped and then plotting and executing her own plan of escape.

And yet I admire her for her tenacity, the way she continued to struggle against Lotor and her fate. I liked that she had managed to flee from Lotor, even though I wish she had confided in me, and taken me along with her. But I could understand why she would leave me behind, even if that action left me hurt. Without even realizing it, I was smiling, inwardly cheering her on to success.

"Wipe that smirk off your face!" snarled Lotor. He didn't understand how I could smile just then. It certainly was a bleak time, and whether Romelle was returned to him or not, my punishment was guaranteed.

"You should be ashamed of yourself." Added Lotor. "Being outsmarted by a woman!"

"Not when the woman is as intelligent as the princess is." I retorted.

"Hmph." Lotor snorted, turning away from me to pace over to the doctor. I tracked his movements, and felt a chill go through me as I noticed a body laying on the floor. It was the guard I had bribed with money, and he wasn't moving. Lotor noticed where my gaze had landed, and smirked. "Yes, I killed him. For being as big a fool as you!" He made a disgusted sound. "Falling for a woman's trick. He should have never left you alone with them."

He was right about that. I didn't think the guard had panicked, not completely. But with five shrieking females, he had been badgered into leaving his post. I suddenly realized something, patting my pockets for the card key. Lotor noticed, and hissed out a question.

"Missing something?" I nodded, pockets turning up empty. "They stole your key, you fool! It's how they got out of this room. You all but gift wrapped the means for them to have near unlimited access to everywhere in the castle!"

"The King will not be pleased..." murmured Shabatoba.

"To hell with my father!" Lotor snapped, and he was right. The prince was the more pressing concern, his rage far more tangible than Zarkon's could ever be. And yet for Lotor it was a valid concern the doctor had brought up. Zarkon would not be pleased to lose Romelle, the King in the midst of figuring out a way to use her against Doom's enemies.

I was still laying on my back, too pained and tired to really try to sit up. I listened to Lotor growling at the doctor, and then the door to the apartment opened. A pair of guards rushed in, breathless and excited. "We found something!"

"What?" Lotor growled, stalking over to them. My own heart dropped like an anvil, fearing what this would mean for Romelle.

"The fires!" explained one guard. "The ones that started in the corridor that led to the docks..."

"What about the fires?" Lotor demanded, even as I was confused. There had been a fire in the castle?

"We have surveillance footage that it was started by the princess and her slaves. They used the fire as a distraction so they could sneak onboard a vessel. A small cargo ship is missing. It would be able to fly with a crew of four..."

"I want that ship tracked down at once!" ordered Lotor. The guards nodded. "And spread the word to have my ship prepared as well. I am personally going after the princess."

Communicators were whipped out, the guards already giving out orders as they ran out the room. The airwaves inside the castle were cluttered with voices, everyone had been looking for the princess, or dealing with the fires. Now they would be given a new purpose, soldiers being gathered to board Lotors' ship. His wouldn't be the only vessel going after Romelle, already two ships had taken off in pursuit.

"Get up." Lotor ordered, scowling at me. I didn't move fast enough for his liking, he was grabbing me by my braided hair, hauling me upright. I grunted, but otherwise did not vocalize me pain. "You're coming with me. You both are."

"Me?" Doctor Shabatoba was surprised.

"The princess will be in need of your services soon enough." That was ominous, a million reasons flashing in my mind over why she would need to be treated by Shabatoba.

"Don't hurt her!" I said, shoving at Lotor's chest to get him away from me. "Not anymore..."

"You have no bargaining power with me." Lotor responded coldly. "Nor can you expect me to grant you any favors."

"Asshole."

"Quite right." Lotor retorted, and shoved me towards the door. I stumbled, but righted myself at the last moment. Lotor continued to push at my back, constantly trying to make me fall down as we moved through the corridors. I managed not to, which I'm sure annoyed him all the more. Doctor Shabatoba quietly brought up our rear, and as we arrived at the docks, Haggar and General Mogor was waiting for us.

The General took one look at me, and winced, but was otherwise quiet. It seemed he had some inkling of why I was in the condition I appeared in. Haggar was looking me over as well, but her expression was guarded. I met her eyes, my voice gruff as I asked.

"Was this the trouble you foresaw witch? Did you know this would happen?"

"Yes and no." Was her answer. "The vision wasn't clear, flooding me with so much information I couldn't latch on to any details." She paused, and then tsked, tongue clucking against her teeth. "Was it worth it commander? Was it worth sparing her life?"

"What are you two talking about?" Lotor demanded, eyes suspicious.

"Oh, nothing sire." Haggar said quick enough. She didn't want him to know she wanted his precious princess dead. I was angry, and wanting to lash out, so opened my mouth to tell him just what he wanted to know. But my voice wouldn't come, the witch had guessed my intentions, and silenced me with a spell. I seethed at that, wanting to reach out and punch her. But at my first aggressive move, guards seized me by my arms, dragging me up the ramp.

Lotor and his entourage would follow, all of us going to the command deck of the flag ship. We'd soon take off, following a signal given off by a tracking beacon inside the stolen cargo ship. Our ships were all similarly equipped with those beacons, all to prevent such scenarios from succeeding.

We wouldn't be far from Doom when a transmission from one the ships in pursuit of Romelle came through to our ship. Lotor immediately had it put up on the screen, the pilot clearly relishing the news he had for his prince. "We've sighted the cargo ship sire."

"Move in for attack position!" Came Lotor's orders, the prince looking pleased as he leaned back in his seat. "Fire blinding stun beams only. I don't want the princess injured."

"How considerate of you sire." Was the pilots' answer. I nearly snorted then, thinking Lotor was anything but considerate. He just wanted to ensure Romelle lived so he could torture her some more.

The pilot would adjust some levers on the console in front of him, the image on the view screen showing the cargo ship now. We could see the red beams firing on it, explosions occurring on the left side of the ship. Lotor began to laugh as the smoking ship spun out of control, still trying desperately to keep moving.

"Sire! They are attempting to call for help!" Came one of the technicians onboard the ship.

"It won't do them any good!" Lotor smirked, gesturing for the technician to play Romelle's transmission. It was a frantic plea to planet Pollux, Romelle calling for her brother.

"Calling planet Pollux, calling Prince Bandor." Romelle kept repeating the message over and over. I could occasionally hear the screams of the women with her, but Romelle remained calm. "It's Romelle. We escaped, but we're in trouble. We're going to crash land on planet Nieve."

"Sire...we didn't manage to block the signal in time. It's gone out not only to Pollux, but to all the planets in this solar system." The technician called out.

"Damn!" Lotor grumbled. "This could be trouble if the Voltron Force gets wind of this."

Haggar began laughing, drawing Lotors' glare to her. "I have a plan! Let us go to planet Nieve, and lay a trap for the Voltron Force." She was still laughing, and I wondered if she knew for certain that the Voltron Force would come.

"A trap? What kind?" Lotor asked.

"Why the perfect kind to get you Allura of course!" Haggar answered. "Romelle makes the perfect bait...as an ally of planet Pollux, the Voltron Force will be unable to resist coming to her rescue...and that's when they'll meet ME!"

Haggar began to lay out the details of her plan, explaining how she'd use her magic to take on the form of princess Romelle. Lotor relaxed when he heard Romelle would never come near to the Voltron Force, pleased at the thought of returning to Doom with not one but two princesses on his arms.

We would fly top speed to planet Nieve, a world that was made of inhospitable ice. The winds continually howled, blowing fierce and cold. The snow consistently pelted the land, and it wouldn't take more than a few hours for it to bury the ships in it's white embrace. In the distance I could see the fire blazing, a result of the cargo vessel's forced landing. I knew it was bad that the ship had been damaged that badly, but the fire promised that Romelle and the women would remain warm for a time.

They had to, considering it would take a good two hours for Lotor's ship to arrive on Nieve. We would land some distance away, taking a ground based transport vehicle over to the crash site. The pilot who had shot the cargo vessel down was already there, his ship's weapons trained on it's undamaged side.

"There's been no movement outside." He reported to Lotor. "Neither the princess, nor her slaves have emerged in all this time. Nor do they reply to any hailings."

I wondered then if Romelle could have died in the crash, especially when the pilot reported that the ship had maintained radio silence since it's forced landing. They were no longer calling for help. It could have been that their radio had been damaged in the crash, but I feared the worse.

"You first Commander." Lotor shoved me in the direction of the cargo ship, his voice mocking. I took unsteady steps towards the ship, not wearing the proper footwear to handle the slippery ice. It should have been easier to move on the snow, but it was so deep here, I sunk down into it up to my knees. I made slow progress to the ship, but eventually I reached it. The snow crunching behind me alerted me to the fact that Lotor and the others were following me.

The prince would force me to be the one to pry open the ship's damaged door. I would cautiously poke my head inside, conscious of a potential attack. Lotor grew impatient, a shove on my back forcing me inside. But nothing attacked me. It seemed that if Romelle lived, she and the other women hadn't managed to get their hands on any weapons.

"Romelle, come out." Lotor's voice echoed through the ship. It should have been the only sound, but one of the slave girls whimpered in fear. Immediately several other voices were heard, the women hissing at the first to be quiet. Lotor smirked, and gave a gesture for his soldiers to proceed ahead of him into the ship. The women's hiding spots would be uncovered, screams erupting as they all began to fight and cry.

Only Romelle remained dignified, looking resigned even as she glared defiantly at Lotor. Soldiers took her by the arms, and proceeded to drag her over to Lotor. They led her past Doctor Shabatoba, who was hurrying over to one of the slave girls. She was screaming, her clothes bloody. She had apparently been injured during the crash, the pain such that it had driven her to whimper uncontrollably.

"It's all right." Shabatoba was saying, shoving aside the soldiers. "I am a doctor." He immediately began checking her over for the source of her injuries. It would be revealed to be a nasty gash, one the doctor said would require stitches to close.

"Well, my dear..." Lotor reached out to grasp hold of her chin, but he needn't have bothered. Romelle couldn't take her eyes off him, seeming to be shaking, probably from a combination of fear and revulsion. I couldn't blame her, he was after all her tormentor, the man who had raped her. It had to be a crushing blow, to have almost escaped from him, only to be caught at the last possible second.

"It was a valiant effort." Continued Lotor, purring at her. "But ultimately a futile one."

"I will never give up!" Romelle told him. "And one day I will escape from you!"

"That stubborn determination is something I admire in you." Lotor retorted. "It would have been a shame if your spirit had been damaged in the crash." He smirked again. "I'm glad you are unharmed. It would have made things so less satisfactory if I had to wait for you to heal." She paled in fright then, trying to jerk out of his grip. He just grabbed at her arms, pulling her against him. "And Romelle? It's time for your FIRST punishment."

He spun her around, so that her back was pressed against his front. An arm was across her chest, holding her trapped against him. Lotor bent over, lips by her ear, actually kissing the curve of it before issuing out an order. "Do it."

"Do what? What are you going to do?" demanded Romelle. Her voice raised in a scream, the hum of lazon filling the air. The soldiers had drawn their swords, and were stabbing them into the bodies of the slaves that had escaped with Romelle. Doctor Shabatoba was startled, shouting in dismay as the slave he was tending to, was killed before his eyes.

"Why?" Romelle would have surely fallen to the ground if not for Lotor holding her up. "Why would you do that?"

"The punishment is clear for slaves who try to escape." Lotor told her. "They couldn't be tolerated to live." He kissed her ear again, laughing softly. "It's all on you Romelle. All your fault for inspiring them to rebel against the Empire, and escape with you."

"No!"

"Yes!" hissed Lotor. "You should have never tried to leave me. You should have known I wouldn't let you go, that I wouldn't travel to the ends of the galaxy if need be to bring you back to my bed!"

"That's enough!" I shouted at him, and one of the soldiers punched me in the stomach. Romelle cried out, maybe realizing for the first time that I was there.

"Sabbath!" She tried to wiggle free of Lotor's arm, but he merely tightened his hold, his expression cold as he looked towards me. "Leave him alone!" She screamed when I was punched a second time. Lotor scowled, not liking her concern.

"This is touching, really it is." Lotor mocked. "So beautiful the concern you have for one another. Pity it can be broken just like anything else on this ship."

"Please..." Romelle pleaded, but Lotor chose to ignore her. It was then that Haggar stepped into our midst. She calmly took in the sight of the dead slave girls, of Romelle's tear streaked face, and of my hunched over body.

"I'm sure this make for a fascinating drama." She said with a tsk. "But the Voltron Force and a ship from Planet Pollux approach this world. We just barely have enough time to get everyone into position..." She gave Lotor a questioning look. "Or are you content to leave here with just Romelle?"

"No...I will have Allura too." Lotor retorted. "I will make some good come out of this mess Romelle thrust us into." He smiled and spun her around to face him. "Won't that make you happy? To have your cousin for company?"

"NO!"

"I will have Allura, and it will all be because of you!" She shrieked again, Lotor moving to cover her mouth with his. I'm not sure what happened next, what went through Romelle's mind. She seemed to stiffen against him, for once not trying to hit him. And then she was sagging in his grip, Romelle having fainted. Lotor looked put out by her reaction to his kiss, lifting her up in his arms.

"You seem to have knocked her off her feet sire." Mogor joked.

"I have that effect on a lot of women." Lotor dryly retorted. "Well, Haggar. It's your show now. Don't disappoint me."

"I won't sire, I promise!" Haggar said. She was already casting her magic, her ugly visage taking on the beautiful features of princess Romelle. She became identical to the girl, right down to the blue and pink dress the girl was wearing. Haggar would move into the cargo hold of the ship, laying down on the floor to pretend she had been knocked unconscious. The bodies of the slave girls were left to lay where they had been slain, out in the open of the corridor of the ship.

Lotor would take the rest of us back to his ship, and there we would wait. Lotor would sit in the commander's chair, Romelle on his lap. She remained unconscious, slumped against his chest. Lotor seemed to take pleasure in just the simple act of stroking her hair, letting the repetitive actions calm his nerves. He like the rest of us was anxious, eager to see the Voltron Force fall into Haggar's trap. For the first time in my life, I found myself rooting for the Voltron Force to win. And all because I felt they were the only chance Romelle had of ending the nightmare Lotor had thrust her into.

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Wade Wells, thank you! Glad you had time to read. Doubly glad it lured you into reading one more chapter instead of going to sleep! XD


	25. Chapter 25

It would take time for the Voltron Force to find the downed cargo vessel. And all because they didn't have the advantage of it's tracking beacon like we had had. Still the flames could be seen for miles all around, even with the snow working to cover the ship. All we had to do was wait for the Voltron Force to notice them.

The waiting was interesting. Everyone onboard Lotor's ship was tense with anticipation, people making bets on whether of not Haggar would succeed. Lotor allowed this, though he stayed out of laying down a bet of his own. It left us all unsure of what he thought of the witch's chances, if he was only playing at being confident that she would succeed. Certainly it would bring down morale if he bet against Haggar, and thus the soldiers would suffer doubts towards engaging their enemy.

Still, from the sounds of things, the soldiers didn't believe Haggar's trap would work. They believed the odds were stacked against her. And all because the Voltron Force had immeasurably good luck when it came to foiling Doom's plans. The soldiers were uneasy, many would have left planet Nieve right after collecting Romelle from the remains of her stolen ship. But Lotor, ever greedy for the chance to obtain the princess of Arus, insisted on remaining.

I can't say I knew what exactly was going through his mind while we waited. Nor did I really want to know. It unsettled me, the way he kept Romelle on his lap, the exaggerated care he showed in caressing her cheek and stroking her hair. His gentleness could end at any moment, and I found myself hoping she would stay unconscious for longer than she actually did. My reasons for this was both to spare her the anguish of the wait, and Lotors' attention. I was sure he would turn malicious, and set out to torturing us both.

How right I was, Romelle soon stirring. She would appear disorientated, as though the princess didn't realize just whose lap she sat on. That would only last a few seconds, Lotor grinning at her. His fingers instantly went from gentle and soothing to a cruel grip, tearing a cry of pain from Romelle when she tried to jerk back off his lap.

"So glad you could join us Romelle." Lotor pulled her closer so that he could graze his lips against hers as he talked. His voice was like a silky seduction, purring satisfaction to her. "I wouldn't have wanted you to miss all the fun!"

"You leave my cousin alone!" Romelle snapped, looking very much like she would bite him. Lotor jerked back from her teeth, tsking all the while.

"You still don't get it, do you?" He asked. "You don't get to give me orders! However, if you beg me a little more sweetly, I might just reconsider."

Everyone on board the ship knew that was a lie. There was nothing Romelle could say or do to get Lotor to leave her cousin Allura alone. He was that obsessed with her, wanting both princesses for his own.

Romelle didn't buy into his words either, narrowing her eyes into a glare. Lotor's amusement faded. "Not going to beg?"

"I wouldn't give you the satisfaction!" She hissed back at him, then cried out when he pulled on her hair again.

"Pity for you, I've already taken plenty of satisfaction from your body." A gasp followed his words, Romelle turning crimson at his implications. He'd still be holding onto her when she slapped him, the move as vicious and forceful as she could make it. The entire command deck seemed to go silent, some of the soldiers staring with open mouths. None could believe she had slapped the dread prince of Doom, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one who feared he would end her life then and there.

"That was a mistake!" Snarled Lotor, shoving Romelle off his lap. She hit the floor, but did not make a sound, staring up at him with more anger than fear. Lotor stood, towering over Romelle. But he did not draw his sword, giving her a considering look. "You just love pissing me off don't you, my dear? Why is that? Do you hope I'll end your nightmare for you? That I'll put you out of your misery?"

He stepped on the tattered hem of her dress, still staring down at her. "Or maybe you like seeing just how far you can go, how much you can get away with? Hmm? Is that it? Well, Romelle, you should know. Your actions have consequences...mistakes must be corrected, and people will suffer in place of you." Lotor snapped his fingers then, and I found my arms grabbed by two nearby soldiers. They would drag me closer to the prince and the princess, neither one of them looking in my direction. They were too focused on each other, but I knew that wouldn't last.

"What are you going to do?" She demanded, and Lotor gave a cruel look her way.

"What won't I do?" He asked, and at a gesture from him, another soldier began to beat me. Romelle cried out for him to stop, Lotor merely laughing in response. I groaned, and wondered how much more my broken body could take. And yet I was still defiant. "Lotor..." My voice rasped out, gaining his attention. He stopped the beating long enough to hear what I had to say, and even injured as I was, I managed to smirk at him. "You spineless bastard! Are you too afraid to get your own hands dirty?"

"Sabbath! What are you doing?" Romelle was alarmed. She surely thought me a fool for goading the prince on like that. "No, Lotor, leave him alone!" She scrambled to her feet, but Lotor knocked her back down with a push.

"You really are a glutton for punishment, aren't you Commander?" Lotor demanded. He was flexing his fingers, as though warming up before punching me. "Do you really think you stand a chance against me? Especially now, broken and in pain...?"

I really didn't stand a chance, but then the odds were stacked against me regardless of who was beating me. Doctor Shabatoba would confirm as much, hurrying forward to protest my treatment. "Your highness...he won't live for much longer if you continue to abuse him in this manner!" Lotor gave him a look that screamed that he didn't care about my chances for survival.

"Lotor stop!" Romelle added her voice to the mix, having moved to kneel before him. "Don't do this! You'll kill him!" Another uncaring look from the prince, he truly seemed like an unfeeling monster then. "He's your friend..." She added plaintively, and Lotor suddenly snaked out a hand, grabbing her by the chin.

"You mean he's YOUR friend! That's the only reason you even care." And that caring bothered him. Surely Lotor couldn't understand how I had managed to ingratiate myself into the princess' feelings when he had failed to gain even a smidgen of her affections. He didn't have to understand to hate it, Lotor wanting Romelle dependent on him, and him alone.

"Yes." She whispered, and Lotor's movements turned agitated, the prince touching her lips with his thumb.

"What would you do to save him?" Lotor asked. "How far would you demean yourself to ensure his life? Hmm?"

"Romelle don't..." I started to say, not wanting her to do anything she would regret. Lotor gave me a sharp look, and it was enough to get the soldier to punch me again.

"Well, Romelle? What will it be? How much value do you place on Sabbath's life?"

She hesitated. I would have held my breath, but I was too busy wheezing. I have to admit I was curious too. Just how strong an attachment did Romelle feel for me? And yet I was afraid of finding out, because I knew Lotor would use those feelings against her.

"What do you want me to do?" A simple reply, with it Romelle appearing ready to do anything Lotor asked of her. His eyes narrowed, he wasn't satisfied or appeased by what she had said. If anything it made him more angry, Lotor beyond pissed that she was willing to sacrifice so much for me.

He could have asked her to do anything, to do some humiliating act right in front of his men. Instead he gripped her chin once more, glaring down at her with this infuriated expression. The situation was worse than it had ever been, and it was all Romelle's fault. It was inadvertent, she had been trying to save me. Instead it looked like she had condemned me with her actions.

"How very self sacrificing of you Romelle." Lotor's voice was barely controlled, the prince hissing like a snake. "But it's ultimately a useless gesture."

"What?" I could see she didn't understand, the confusion apparent on her face. "But I..."

"I want to thank you though Romelle." Lotor continued. "You've helped me to put things into perspective."

"Perspective?" She frowned. "What does that mean?"

He wasn't going to answer her, touching her lips once more. He was still so angry, barely controlled fury simmering within him. I couldn't know just how disappointed she had made him, but I would find out soon enough. But first I would have to endure a few more punches, Lotor giving the command, Romelle screaming out in panic.

"NO! You can't! I said I would do anything!" She scrambled to her feet, Lotor catching her around the waist to keep her from throwing herself on me.

"Ro...Romelle..." I was trying to speak, but the punches left me pained and breathless. I suppose it was better I couldn't talk, it surely would have devastated her to hear that that was exactly the reason why he was having me be beat. And from the looks of it, he would have continued the abuse until I died, the prince ignoring Romelle's ear piercing shrieks all the while.

"Sire! We have an incoming message from Haggar the witch!" A technician approached, trying not to cringe at the look Lotor gave him. We had been waiting for this moment, flying blind where the witch was concerned. All because there had been no time to set up a live feed between the downed cargo vessel and our own ships. Whatever had happened inside that vessel, be it good or bad, had happened without our knowledge.

"It's about time." Lotor grumbled, gesturing for the beating to stop. It wasn't to spare me, he just wanted Romelle's shrieking to be at an end. "Put her up on the view screen." He commanded.

The technicians hurried to do just that, the sight of Haggar's brown cloaked figure appearing. She was in one of the land bound cruisers, driving at a frantic speed. Her cat was perched on her shoulders, tail lashing in agitation. To her left, was a body, and Romelle cried out in surprise. "Bandor!"

Lotor immediately shoved her away from him, eyes narrowed. "You were supposed to get Allura!"

"There was an unforeseen complication that arose." Haggar retorted, eyes more on the land before her than the monitor. We couldn't see them, but we could hear the sound of the lions' feet, paws pounding on the snow and ice as they gave pursuit. Occasionally a lion would roar, an intimidation tactic that had no effect on the witch. "Fear not sire, I am bringing you all of the Voltron Force!"

"I'm only interested in Allura!" Lotor grumbled. Romelle was inching towards me, her hands shaking as she reached to touch my face. Her eyes looked wet, she mouthed my name, and the words that she was so sorry. I could barely keep my eyes open, but nodded to reassure her.

"And you shall have the princess of Arus, along with the lions!" Haggar retorted, her voice sounding exasperated. "Have Mogor get the robeast ready...I brought a special kind of beast along with us just in case an emergency cropped up."

"Mogor, you heard her!" Lotor snapped, and the General hurried to do the witch's bidding. "Haggar, what's your estimated time of arrival?"

"I'm still a good ten minutes away. If his highness would be so kind as to come out to meet me, that would greatly expedite things." Retorted the witch. An explosion rocked her ship, but Haggar showed no fear. "Hurry your highness!"

The transmission went dead, but Lotor didn't waste a second in giving orders. The ship's crew immediately began procedures to have it drive out to intercept Haggar and the Voltron Force. We would move out at top speed, coming upon a large crater just as Haggar's vehicle clear it's top. She quickly boarded the ship, driving her cruiser up the ramp.

Things began to happen quickly, Lotor turning and noticed how Romelle was gingerly wiping the blood off my face with her skirt. He scowled, eyes narrowing, all his anger returning full force. It seemed everything Romelle did where I was concerned, only damned us both further.

"Sire, there's no time." Mogor had returned, and seemed to sense where Lotor's thoughts lay. "The Voltron Force is in the perfect position for an attack." Indeed they were in the very center of the deep crater, looking around for Haggar's cruiser. We were just pulling in at the edge of the crater, the lions instantly going on the defensive.

"I know that." Lotor snapped, stepping towards Romelle. He grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her back. She struggled, and whimpered in pain but didn't look at him. She was too concerned with me, and Lotor noticed where her fixation was.

"Sire?"

"Romelle, you will still be of some use to me after all." Lotor announced. He would drag her away from me, Romelle fighting him every step of the way. "I'm sure you're cousin will be more appreciative of my affections than you ever were."

"You're deluding yourself if you believe that!" Romelle snapped back, and then they were gone from the command deck. The soldiers still held me by the arms, unsure of what to do when Doctor Shabatoba approached. He scowled at them, insisting on being allowed to tend to my wounds.

"Don't bother." I told him, slumping on the floor of the ship.

"I can't just sit back and do nothing." He retorted, cleaning up my face and checking me over to see how bad the injuries were. I'd probably have another rib broken, and that was if I was lucky. If I wasn't, I was facing some serious internal bleeding, and might still die from the beating I had received.

I didn't focus on the doctor as he tended to me. I was watching the ship's large view screen. The drama outside the ship was playing out on the monitor, I could see Lotor, along with Haggar and Mogor pushing Romelle and her brother Bandor out into the snow. The young prince had regained consciousness, and the siblings were clinging to each other. Someone had been kind enough to give Romelle a cloak, which surprised me.

The wind blew out everyone's hair, and rustled their clothing. Lotor had his sword drawn, and he was laughing. I heard the captain of the Voltron Force make a comment over the speakers of his lion. "That's Lotor's happy chuckle!"

"He's got my cousins!" That was the princess of Arus, her voice sounding fearful.

"Yes, Allura!" Lotor shouted, his voice barely able to be heard over the howling wind. "And I will send them back to freedom. But for that favor, you must come to me. ALONE!"

"What is Lotor doing?" The doctor wondered out loud. I sighed then, and even that hurt to do.

"It seems he's tired of fighting with Romelle." I was certain what had motivated him to give up Romelle was the realization of how deep her feelings for me were. It angered him, as much as it had disappointed him. He probably thought he would have a clean start of things with Allura, rather than continue to try to make Romelle accept him. He simply didn't have the patience or tolerance to allow a woman of his to have feelings for another man.

"She what?" The Voltron Force was talking, voices carrying over each other.

"I don't believe he'll give anybody up!"

"You can't bargain or trade people like animals you creep!"

"You have two minutes to accept my generous offer! Otherwise..." He brought his sword to bear on Romelle and Bandor, the threat obvious. At least one of them would die, and with the way Romelle had angered him, I wouldn't be surprised if he killed them both. "Say good-bye to Romelle!"

The Voltron Force quieted at that. I couldn't know if they were holding a private dialogue between them, but eventually both the princess and captain emerged from their lions. It was at that precise moment, that a nasty storm began to happen, dark clouds covering the sky. A heavy snow fell, blown about by the wind. The captain stood next to the princess, shouting up at Lotor.

"Okay Lotor, we accept your offer! She's on the way. but I want the others released at the same time!"

"Don't worry!" retorted Lotor, a gloating smirk on his face. "I made a bargain and I am a man of honor!"

"Don't do it Allura!" Bandor screamed. "He doesn't know the meaning of the word honor!"

"Now, get out!" Lotor kicked Bandor, Romelle hurrying to catch him before he fell over the crater's edge. "But I warn you, no tricks! I'll be watching every move!"

The princess began climbing up the crater at the exact time Bandor and Romelle began their journey down. The way was difficult on foot, the winds battering them around. At one point Allura slowed, and Lotor was quick to shout down to her. "Don't stop princess! If anything goes wrong, you know what will happen!" She continued moving, and Lotor continued to gloat. "I've been patient...but my moment of triumph is finally here!"

"Mogor! As soon as she gets close, send the mighty robeast to destroy the lions!" advised Haggar.

"Will do!" Mogor hurried back into the ship. He was gone long enough for Allura to reach and pass her cousins. They paused for a moment, to stare at each other. And then they were moving again. I'm not sure I understand why Lotor got so impatient, but he did. Calling out for the robeast to attack. Snow would go flying, the robeast enlarged and attacking, slamming a fist into the ground.

Romelle and Bandor would fall, the force knocking them backwards. They were still too far to reach the lions, but the princess of Arus was now before Lotor. "So you finally come to me, my proud princess. You don't know how much I relish this moment!" The princess was covered in snow, enough that the pink parts of her uniform was obscured. But then the strangest thing happened, an all too male voice speaking to Lotor as the snow began to shake off.

"I hate to spoil your big moment..." The captain of the Voltron force was revealed, smirking at the prince. "But you're going to be very disappointed in the girl of your dreams."

"'GAH!" Lotor charged him, his sword drawn. "A contemptible trick!"

The captain quickly drew his blaster, halting Lotor in his tracks. "Now! Who will give themselves in exchange for you?"

Haggar's cat answered that question, flying towards the captain. He would try to shoot the cat, but move too late, the blaster being knocked free of his hands. Lotor immediately tried to stab him with his sword, the captain rolling about the snow to avoid the blade. He managed to evade Lotor for several seconds more, before slipping on the ice.

Down on his knees, Lotor's sword was pointed in his face. "You see my friend. Even a simple cat will offer himself for a prince. And I intend to be king. As soon as I dispose of you, and my robeast finishes off the rest of Voltron!" He then screamed, the sword flying from his hand. An unknown shot had blasted the prince, and the captain turned, crying out a name.

"Prince Bandor!"

I felt dread to see that Romelle and her brother had returned to the ship. I didn't know what their motivations were, but I feared for them both. Romelle's expression was grim, she was determined to see Lotor dead.

"Take my weapon!" Bandor shouted, tossing his blaster to the captain. "Your friends are in great danger from the robeast. You gotta go and help them!" Sure enough, all this time, the other four lions had been doing battle with the robeast. They were just barely managing to evade the monster's attacks, and desperately needed black lion so they could form Voltron. "We'll take care of Lotor!" Added Bandor, to the amusement of many of the Drules on the command deck. It was then that Bandor drew the sword on his hip, and Romelle had a small dagger in her hands.

"He's hurt us the most." She said, advancing on Lotor. "He's killed our father and brother, and enslaved our people!"

"Listen you two! Don't be foolish!" The captain had paused, to try and stop them. "Lotor is too dangerous to take on by yourselves! Let the Voltron Force do it!"

"I have a score to settle for my planet!" shouted Bandor, running towards Lotor. He tried to stab his sword into Lotor's side, but the prince quickly side stepped him. He followed that up with an elbow chop to the prince's back, the boy falling to the ground.

"Don't send a boy to do a man's job!" Haggar laughed at Lotor's words, raising her staff to fire a bolt of energy at the Voltron pilot. Romelle screamed, sounding vicious as she lunged towards Lotor with her dagger poised to drive into his heart.

"Take this!"

"No!" Lotor punched her in the stomach, and caught her in his arms. "I'll take you instead!" He threw the unconscious princess over his shoulder, and turned to walked up the ship's ramp. Haggar was still laughing and firing on the pilot of black lion, and I grunted out my dismay.

"Romelle...no!"

"Calm yourself!" Shabatoba said, pushing on my shoulders. "There's nothing you can do for her...not now..."

Maybe not ever. The thought caused me to give the doctor a bleak look.

"He's got her.." Moaned the captain, writhing in pain from the witch's spell. Bandor who had been forgotten, lunged at the witch, crashing into her and breaking her spell. The captain immediately lunged for the nearest weapon, which happened to be Lotor's sword. He threw it point first at the witch, who screamed and scurried up the ramp. The door quickly sealed shut behind her, Bandor screaming.

"I tried sister!"

The ship immediately began to take off, Lotor or Haggar must have radioed a command to the deck. Bandor was still screaming, sounding very much like a lost little boy. "Romelle!" He had to be dragged off by the captain of the Voltron force, the man assuring him that they would get Romelle back. But it wouldn't be today. Even as he hurried down to get into his lion, our ship was rapidly flying away from planet Nieve. We wouldn't even stick around to watch the battle. Why would we when the outcome was so certain? Voltron would utterly destroy the robeast, winning the day's battle. But it was a bitter victory for them, the group succeeding in doing nothing as far as Romelle was concerned.

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Wade Wells, thank you! I'm glad I cna keep you guessing with this story. It's not even halfway finished yet...still a lot to happen, lot of twists and turns to get everyone into place for the grand finale. XD

Feli 3, I thank you kindly. :D


	26. Chapter 26

I won't dwell long on the flight back to Doom. For that trip was predominantly uneventful, Lotor spending most of the time screaming at Haggar. He was angry, absolutely furious about the princess of Arus escaping his grasp. Lotor was always his most violent whenever he had come close to securing Allura for himself, the encounters and her subsequent escapes enraging him to no end. Many a crew member on board the command deck had fallen to the floor as a result of Lotor's fists. We were all fortunate he had lost his sword down on the ice planet, else heads would have rolled.

I tried to make myself small and unobtrusive, sitting quietly on the floor. Doctor Shabatoba had wisely moved me over behind a half wall, keeping me out of sight and out of mind for Lotor. I'm not sure if that really saved me, or if Lotor was just that uninterested in finishing me off while Romelle was unconscious. Whatever the case, he continued to shout at Haggar, blaming her for everything that had gone wrong. Saying things like she should have grabbed Allura and not Bandor, or that she should have suspected the captain of the Voltron force's trickery. Even the usual argument of how Haggar should have built a better robeast was growled out.

Haggar for the most part, maintained her calm, though anyone could see she was visibly annoyed. She didn't like being screamed at in that manner, and only the prince and King Zarkon could have gotten away with such actions without ending up cursed by the witch's magic. I think part of Lotor's frustration was the fact he couldn't really punish Haggar the way he wanted to. She was his father's most trusted ally, and as such, the old King would not take kindly to her being abused. Note even by his own son.

Romelle lay face down on the floor for most of the journey back to Doom. Doctor Shabatoba checked on her, but made no attempt to rouse her. It was his pity that kept Romelle asleep, the doctor not wanting to watch the princess be further tortured by his prince. Lotor ignored her once he dropped her on the floor, more intent on an active target like Haggar and the command deck's crew.

He'd continue to rant and rave, almost like a madman, so focused was he on the loss of Allura. Even as castle Doom loomed ever closer, he continue to bitch at Haggar, the witch growing exasperated.

"Enough!" She sharply cried out, throwing up a hand in an angry gesture. "I get that you are angry. I get that you are disappointed. But there is nothing I or anyone else can do to change what has happened! You'll just have to accept that Allura is lost to you, and move on!"

"I will NEVER accept that old witch!" Lotor hissed back in retort. "Allura is mine! And one day she will be standing here by my side!"

"Well, that day isn't today!" Haggar pointed out.

"And whose fault is that Haggar?" Lotor demanded, hands on his hips now. "Whose fault is all our failures!"

"You can't blame this all on me!" snarled Haggar, and stepped towards him. It should have been comical to see a female who was hunched over with old age trying to back up the prince. But there was nothing funny about Haggar, the witch seeming to glow with mystic energy. "I brought you Prince Bandor, I gave you a robeast. A robeast that was doing just fine until Voltron was formed."

"I didn't want nor need Bandor!" Lotor retorted. "And when will you make a robeast that can stand up to Voltron? It's not enough to be able to beat the lions if those ships can still form that blasted robot!"

"I'm working on it!" Haggar hissed out through clenched teeth. "Every loss as hurtful as it is, brings us a valuable data about the robot. Soon...soon I will have the key to Voltron's ultimate defeat."

"Not soon enough for my liking!" Lotor retorted. "You're slacking off on the job Haggar!" She let out an outraged gasp at that, but Lotor wasn't finished. "You should have brought Allura to me, not Bandor. You should have known there was a trick being pulled during the trade, you should have finished off the captain with your magic! Instead you were defeated by a mere boy!"

"I did the best I could under the circumstances!" Hagger jabbed a bony finger against Lotor's chest. "Why weren't you more suspicious of them during the trade? Why didn't you try to kill the captain instead of grabbing Romelle? Don't try to pin the blame solely on me Lotor, because you'll neither get away with it, or like what I have to say!"

Lotor scowled at her, hands making fists that he rose up in the air. Haggar didn't so much as blink, glaring a challenge at him. Her look seemed to dare him to hit her, and anyone could see how tempted Lotor truly was to do just that. But after a few exaggerated breaths, Lotor lowered his hands. Haggar nodded satisfied, the prince relaxing his fists.

"I think we should concentrate less on placing blame and more on how to calm down your father." Continued Haggar.

"My father?" Lotor practically gasped. "He doesn't need to know about this...does he?"

"He's bound to already know. We took off in such a hurry, and we weren't exactly trying to hide the reason behind it. He won't like this..."

"You're damn right he won't!" grumbled Lotor.

"But we can make him see it's not a total loss." Continued Haggar. "We have Romelle..."

"Fat lot of good she does us."

"You know he won't take kindly to the thought of the princess escaping. Especially now." I was intrigued by that, wondering what the witch meant. Lotor took on a shifty eyed look, stepping closer to the witch.

"What do you mean?" He asked, and the witch smiled.

"All in good time sire." Lotor growled in annoyance at that, and the witch almost laughed. "Your father is not the only with spies about. I'd rather not talk about his plans until we are behind closed doors, in a room secured by my magic."

"You know I hate being kept in the dark..." Lotor grumbled.

"It will be worth the wait, I promise." Haggar told him, making a feeble attempt at soothing his upset.

"It better be." A moan then, Romelle was awakening. I wish she could have stayed asleep longer, or at least kept quiet. That moan of hers only drew both Lotor and Haggar's attention to her, the princess making a pain filled sound as she tried to push up off the floor. She flinched, and her hands immediately went to her stomach. Lotor hadn't held back his strength when he punched her. No doubt Romelle would be sore for days there.

"Ah..." Romelle blinked, and shook her head, looking panicked as she realized where she was. And who was near her, the girl gearing up for a scream. Lotor walked towards her, a menacing look in his eyes as he reached to snag her by her hair. "Noooo!"

"You tried to kill me Romelle." Lotor's tone was almost conversational, as though he was talking about something pleasant. "You should have known you'd fail. A weak little girl such as yourself, what could she hope to do against a capable Drule warrior?" Haggar looked uneasy behind him, surely remembering the indecipherable visions she had had regarding Romelle and the trouble the princess would bring to Doom.

"You and your brother are fools." Lotor continued. "You two should have never come back...you only succeeded in making your situation that much more worse!"

"What have you done to my brother?" demanded Romelle, anger warring with fear in her voice. "Where is he?"

"He's probably still on that miserable planet Nieve." Lotor replied. He didn't look pleased when she sighed in relief, Lotor hauling her up off the floor by his grip in her hair. "Doom's robeast was fighting Voltron...there's no guarantee of the robot's victory..."

"I have the utmost faith the Voltron Force will have won that battle." Romelle retorted. "I'm just glad both my brother and my cousin are safe from you!"

"Worry about yourself Romelle!" snapped Lotor. "You're in a lot of trouble, and I don't think you realize just how far you've fallen out of favor with me!"

She let out a bitter, unamused laugh. "Is your cruel treatment earlier a sign of how you act when your happy with someone? Because if it is, I want no part of your favor!"

"I've treated you well, all things considered." Lotor hissed. "I've given you comfortable surroundings, rich food, expensive gowns, and a handful of slaves."

"You also raped me, you bastard!" Romelle shouted, her blues eyes enraged. "And you nearly beat to death my only friend on Doom on several occassions." Lotor's eyes narrowed at that, I wasn't his favorite subject especially when spoken of by Romelle.

"Ah yes...Sabbath." His very look screamed that he was contemplating rectifying my alive status at once. "You two have quite an effect on each other. Especially you on the commander. I've never seen such a loyal soldier fall so quickly, and all for a piece of flesh." He laughed then, cold amusement in his voice. "Pretty package that you are, you are ultimately spoiled goods...Sabbath is stupid to waste his career on playing the hero to you."

"Don't talk to Romelle like that!" I snarled, ignoring Shabatoba's frantic hisses to be quiet. The princess' eyes had turned shamed, her face flushing crimson. "She's worth more than that...worth more than ten of you put together!"

"Really now?" Lotor asked, turning to watch as I struggled to my feet. "Then maybe I haven't been trying hard enough where this girl is concerned." That left me with a bad feeling, Lotor doing a gesture that belied any affection as he caressed Romelle's cheek. And yet I couldn't stop defending her honor, determined as I spoke.

"No matter what you do, or try to do...you can never bring down her worth!"

"Is that a challenge commander?" Lotor asked, tone mild. "Because I do so love them." He was still stroking Romelle's cheek, while his other hand held her captive by her hair. The look in his eyes said he would not find it a hardship to attempt to demean Romelle's worth in my eyes.

"It's not a challenge..." I spoke quietly then. "It's the Gods' honest truth."

"She's only a human...used and rebellious...you risk much for her..."

"She was only a human when you decided you wanted to marry her!" I retorted. "That and her rebellious streak didn't deter your desire in the slightest!"

"I've had time to reconsider." One last stroke, and then just as abruptly, Lotor was shoving Romelle away from him. "She's not worthy enough to be my bride. She certainly doesn't deserve to sit on the throne as the future Queen of the Doom Empire."

"But I suppose Allura is?" I couldn't resist asking, tone snide.

"Yes...she is." That delusional look was back in his eyes again, Lotor's tone dreamy. "She'll be everything Romelle is not. She will love me..."

"Fat chance of that!" Romelle snapped from off to the side of him. Lotor growled at that, and a technician spoke up. "Now entering castle Doom." We barely took notice of our arrival, the three of us exchanging glares and hostile words. Haggar continued to look nervous, petting her blue cat in an attempt to calm herself.

"Allura will love me!" Lotor insisted to Romelle. "She has a more giving nature, a more forgiving heart..."

"There's nothing you can say or do that would make my cousin excuse your evil deeds and foul behavior!" Romelle retorted. "You're twisted Lotor, your very nature corrupted and wicked!"

"What do you even know of Allura?" Lotor demanded then. "You met her just one time, exchanged but a handful of words!"

"It was long enough to recognize a kindred spirit." Romelle told him. "I know her soul, her inner goodness. She is just like me, and she will despise you just as strongly as I do! Face it Lotor, you are not worthy of her love, or of mine!"

I was already wincing at that, watching Lotor advance on her. He looked ready to slap her for that, Romelle turning to run. None of the soldiers would try to stop the prince, though thankfully none made a move to restrain the princess. She somehow dodged Lotor enough to run towards me, taking shelter behind my back. I stood straighter, ignoring my pain to stare down Lotor.

"Stand aside Commander, or I will kill you where you stand." Lotor warned. I swallowed but did not move.

"I'm sorry..." Came Romelle's whisper at my back. She was speaking to me not Lotor, and surely had realized the danger she had put me in.

"It's fine." I said to them both. In that moment I hoped Lotor would forget about striking Romelle, if he focused his anger on me. But a voice spoke up, a potential

savior in our mists.

"Your highness! We are being boarded by Zarkon's personal guards!"

"What?" Lotor turned from me, spinning to stare at the crew member who had spoken. That soldier looked apologetic, but there was nothing more he could say or do. The King's guards went wherever they pleased, moving on the expressed orders of their liege.

"I told you he would know!" Haggar cried out, just seconds before Captain Adamentius stepped out onto the command deck. His squad was close behind him, and spreading throughout the ship.

"What is the meaning of this?" Lotor demanded, striding forward to meet with Adementius. "Is my father fool enough to arrest me a second time?"

"We are here for the princess Romelle." Adementius answered. "Your father has decreed you too incompetent to keep watch over her for even a second longer." Romelle was shaking behind me, clinging to my shirt's back as soldiers approached us. We would be pulled apart, Romelle being dragged off.

"Sabbath!"

"Don't worry Romelle!" I called after her. "The King will not harm you." Not so long as he had a use for her. And from what Haggar had briefly mentioned to Lotor, I was sure he did.

"Your father is waiting in the throne room." The Captain was saying. "He wants a full report on your escapades. I would not keep him waiting. Not with the mood he is in."

"Fine." Grumbled Lotor. He moved to walk past the captain, but Adementius stopped him. "It's not just you he wants to speak to. He wants the witch, along with your commander and general."

"Commander Sabbath needs medical treatment." It was Shabatoba who spoke. The captain of the King's guards looked at him, expression uncaring.

"That can wait until after his audience with the King. Now no more delays, lest I throw you all in shackles and drag you before the King!"

Lotor was scowling again, not liking what Adementius said. "You go too far captain."

"I go only as far as my King has allowed me to." Retorted Ademenetius. He wasn't intimidated by Lotor, nor did he care that he had upset the prince. Lotor let out a put upon sigh, and stalked out of the command deck, Haggar and Mogor following him. I was slower to move, and the guards came behind me. They were intent on making sure we went straight to the throne room, not willing to tolerate any delays.

Court was in full session when we arrived, Zarkon forcing us to wait out his audience with some petitioners. It pained me to remain standing upright for that long, nor was I allowed to relax against a wall for some support. Lotor probably enjoyed my discomfort. Or at least he would have if he wasn't so busy scowling at his father for keeping us waiting.

But eventually the nobles were done with their petition, Zarkon passing down a judgment that favored them. The group disappeared into the crowd, all smiles on their faces as they whispered congratulations to each other. Captain Adementius would usher us forward, and Zarkon would stare down at us with a bored look on his face. He'd keep us waiting a few seconds more, drumming his clawed fingertips on the arm rest of his throne.

"Well?" He finally demanded, and Lotor exchanged a look with Haggar. "What do you lot have to say for yourselves?"

"It wasn't our fault..." Lotor began, and Zarkon interrupted him.

"Oh? Then whose was it? You allowed princess Romelle, a valuable prisoner to escape."

"It was not I!" Lotor quickly protested. "If anyone is to blame, it's Commander Sabbath for that! He's the one that allowed the princess to drug him. He's the one whose key was stolen. Hell, he's the one who got her the drugs in the first place!"

Really now..." Zarkon's gaze swept over me, it wasn't a kind smile he gave me. "And what do you have to say to these accusations Commander?"

"It's true that it was my key she took, and that I procured the medication she used to drug me. However...it was Lotor who had her moved out of the dungeons against your orders. It was the prince who raped her, it was the rape that forced her need for a doctor and drugs. If Lotor had left her alone, if he had never touched her none of this would have happened. The princess would not have been motivated so strongly to escape."

"Sabbath..." Lotor growled and stepped towards me. A word from Captain Adementius had the other guards rushing to keep Lotor away from me.

"Lotor, I take it from your reaction, this is all true." Zarkon questioned. Lotor looked at him stone faced, refusing to answer. "It sounds to me as if both of you had a role to play in the princess' escape. As such you should both bear punishment for this act."

"Father no!" Lotor protested. "You cannot..."

"You do not tell me what I can and cannot do!" snapped Zarkon.

"But father..."

"I will suffer no more of your interruptions!" Zarkon roared, banging his fist on his throne's arm rest. Even Lotor was suitable cowed into silence, all waiting for Zarkon to pronounce judgment on us. "Commander...you will henceforth be demoted down to Lieutenant. Your salary will be adjusted to reflect this. Moreover, I want you to take an extended leave from your duties. I do not want you back in this castle until I've called for you, is that understood?"

I froze, thinking how Romelle would be left all alone, at Lotor's sadistic mercy. I didn't want to leave the castle, was so upset I barely even noticed I had been demoted, and had lost a substantial amount of money to my weekly salary.

"Lieutenant!" Zarkon snarled, voice sharp in the moment.

"It's...it's understood sire." I bowed to him as best I could, given my injuries. The guards moved to escort me out of the throne room, but Zarkon held up his hand.

"I'm sure you're interested in Lotor's punishment." Zarkon smirked, seeming to enjoy what he was about to reveal. It wasn't a kindness the King was doing me, he just wanted everyone to hear of Lotor's humiliation.

"Well, father, what is it?" Lotor demanded, trying to play unconcerned.

"First of all, you are to be placed under house arrest." Zarkon said, ignoring the gasps of the court. "You will be confined to your rooms, and the only time I want to even see you is when you're leaving on missions I have approved of. If you conduct yourself well, you will gain back your freedoms. Haggar of course, will be in constant contact with you, to help you form suitable plans to further the Empire's expansion."

It was no hardship, this house arrest. Lotor would still have access to all the luxuries he was accustomed to. I suppose the prince thought he was getting off lucky, until Zarkon said the following. "You are to be forbidden any further contact with the princess Romelle. That means no more talking, looking, or buying her gifts. And it certainly means no more fucking her either."

Lotor was scowling, looking as though he was biting his tongue to keep from shouting protests. It seemed contrary to his previous claims, he wasn't completely over Romelle yet. Or maybe he just liked the thought of torturing her that much. Whatever the case, I was greatly relieved, allowing the guards to drag me from the throne room. Romelle might not be in the clear yet, but the King had made her situation infinitely safer by barring Lotor from her.

To Be Continued...

I want to thank my friend Huntress for helping me figure out what rank Sabbath should be demoted to!

Michelle

Feli3, why thank you. I'm giggling with glee that I got you addicted to this tale! :D Thanks again! 

Lotor Sincline, yay! You played catch up again! Thanks so much for still reading. I'm glad you enjoy it, how I worked Sabbath into the series. And thank you for the powerful comment regarding that one chapter. I remember being very drained after writing it too. It took an emotional toll on me. X_X


	27. Chapter 27

The guards didn't take me very far. We didn't get more than a few corridors away before I was collapsing to my knees. My injuries were such that it had taken a great effort to remain standing in the King's presence. Now that he had dismissed me from his sight, and the adrenaline had worn off, the pain had become too much to bear. I was badly in need of doctor Shabatoba's care, in no shape to make the journey to my own home.

With grumbles and reluctance, I was half carried, half dragged to the medical wing inside the castle. Doctor Shabatoba was waiting, the Drule almost nervous as he watched me stumble into an exam room. He would quickly dismiss the guards, the men eager to get away. It wasn't part of their job description to watch over the sick, they'd much rather be where some action was.

Doctor Shabatoba and a nurse immediately set out to stripping me off my shirt. The nurse just barely managed to retain her gasp, the woman staring at the bruises all over my body. It was an array of them, new ones on top of old ones, mottled yellows and browns, and even purple in one section. I'm sure she had never seen a Drule of my rank so beaten, commanders tending to deal out the abuse not take it.

A bitter reminder whispered through my mind. I wasn't commander of anything now. The shock was starting to set in, letting me process just how far I had fallen in the ranks. I knew I should be grateful. It could have been worse, Zarkon could have called for my head on a silver platter. Instead he had merely demoted me, dropping my rank down by two.

The nurse was gently washing the blood off my face. I sat there unblinking as she did this. I wouldn't miss the concerned look she exchanged with Doctor Shabatoba, the man dismissing the nurse from the room.

"Just what happened commander...?" Shabatoba asked, approaching me with a thick roll of white gauze in his hands.

"Lieutenant." I corrected him, my voice sounding hoarse. "It's Lieutenant now..." His eyes widened. Surely Shabatoba understood the significance of my demotion.

He tsked, and began winding gauze about my torso, securing it so it fastened tight, but not to the point I'd be squeezed. "Was it worth it Lieutenant?" I looked at him blankly. "The girl...was it worth all this trouble to try and protect her?"

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat." I instantly replied, feeling a bit heated that he couldn't understand my desire to protect Romelle. "She's worth protecting."

"Even if you can never have her?" The doctor wanted to know. I blinked slowly, then shook my head.

"Having Romelle was never part of the equation." I thought back to Haggar's words, how the witch had pitied me as she told me Romelle would never love me. Was the witch right? Did it matter? I think I had always known she was untouchable, barred from me. First because of Lotor's interest in her, and then the betrayals that followed the incidents on planet Pollux. And yet Romelle had surprised me on planet Nieve, being so fiercely loyal to the Drule she viewed as her sole friend on Doom. She shouldn't have really cared what happened to me, especially after the treatment she had received at Lotor's hands.

But I wasn't that surprised that she did. Romelle was proving not to be the type to judge an entire race based on the actions of a few. Even if those actions had been crimes that were near unspeakable, things so horrific and traumatic, she should have been reduced to a shell of her former self. But Romelle was proving to be strong, to be a survivor. I hoped that she'd continue in that way, especially now that I was to remove myself from the castle for the time being.

"I don't really understand you." Shabatoba said, using the adhesive to glue the gauze in place. "I wonder if you even get why you're doing all this either..." I tried to shrug, and that move pained me. Shabatoba sighed, and shook his head. "Most of the time I think you're a damn bloody fool!"

"And the others?"

"I almost admire you." He was grudging then. "It's good to have something to fight for...even if I disagree on what that something is." He stepped towards his black bag, rifling through the contents. "You're probably not fond of pills right now, but you're going to need to take some to deal with the pain." I grumbled but other than that, did not protest. "I want to keep you here for observation...at least for the next few days. You think you can get the time off?"

"Time off is not a problem." I told him. "The King has told me to leave and not come back until summoned. Somehow I get the feeling he won't take too kindly if I do my convalescing here..."

The doctor frowned. "I suppose it can't be helped then. I'll have to set up some at home care for you...Just for the next three days..."

"Is that really necessary?" I wanted to know.

"I won't feel comfortable otherwise. Relax, it won't be around the clock care. Just someone to come in and check on you every few hours. I'll leave the rest to your slaves..."

I grew sheepish then. "I uh...don't actually have any slaves of my own." Shabatoba's eyes widened.

"None at all?" He demanded, mouth agape. "Not even a pleasure slave?"

"There's just been no need." I was uncomfortable with this subject. I knew I could more than afford the upkeep of a few slaves, even with my now decreased salary. But I had reasons for not bothering to purchase slaves of my own, finding I spent more time away from my home than in it. If cooking or cleaning needed to be done, I could hire out a temporary servant. And I had never been comfortable with the idea of having someone tending to my every need, as though I was too incompetent to do even the simplest tasks for my self.

As for pleasure slaves, well I had seen how the women at my mother's brothel had been treated. It might make me unusual, but I had wanted no part in forced affections, in having a slave feign enthusiasm at the thought of being with me. I much rather court a woman the proper way, and have her come to return my affections.

"I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone then." Doctor Shabatoba said when he realized I wasn't going to offer him a deeper explanation. I grumbled but didn't protest when the Doctor proceeded to make arrangements for at home care for me.

"Doctor..." I hesitated, knowing this might be too much to ask of this man. "If you can, would you do me a favor?"

He was instantly on guard, Shabatoba as wary as he was curious. "What is it you want me to do?"

"It's about the princess. Could you look out for her in my absence?" I asked. "The King has seen fit to barring the prince from her, but I'd still feel better to know there was someone I trusted watching over her." The doctor looked ready to say no, and I hurriedly continued. "The King...I don't know what, but he has plans for her. Plans that you could use to your advantage. You could easily arrange visits with her, all on the pretext of keeping her healthy for whatever Zarkon intends to use her for..."

"I suppose I could do that." The Doctor was still reluctant.

"Please do." I all but begged him then. "It would allow me to rest more easy. Otherwise I'm liable to do something even more foolish than I already have!"

"And we can't have that." Grumbled Shabatoba. "Fine, Lieutenant. I will do this. I'll even go so far as to contact you with progress reports about the girl's treatment."

"I'm grateful." I told him.

"Hmph." He sniffed, looking haughty in the moment. "Well, I suppose I can't keep you here any longer..." He pushed pills into my hand, which I pocketed. "I'll arrange for someone to drive you home."

"I'll meet them at the docks." I said, reaching for my shirt. My movements were slow and exaggerated, I tried not to wince as I pulled the top on. "But right now I want to say good-bye to Romelle."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Shabatoba asked. "You might not even be allowed to see her now that you've been demoted."

"I have to try though." I insisted. "And there's a chance word hasn't reached the dungeons yet of my demotion." Doctor Shabatoba tsked, and shook his head, walking away without another word. I sighed at his exit, finishing buttoning up my shirt, before gingerly getting off the exam table.

I would then leave the hospital, begginning the walk to the castle dungeons. The stairs that led down into the bowels of the castle were located some distance from the medical wing, and in my state, it seemed to take forever to traverse the corridors. Nor would it be uneventful. I would come across a brown cloaked figure, and even from the back I recognized who that person was.

_~HAGGAR!~_ Instantly my fangs were bared, a silent snarl being expressed. My first impulse was to rush after her, to grab and slam her in the wall, to even punch the old crone. The pain of my body kept me from acting, as did the thought that the witch could incinerate me with one blast of her magic.

I decided then to ignore her, to go on my way as if I hadn't seen her. But the witch made it impossible, smirking as she drew near. "Lieutenant..."

"Witch!" I growled, trying to look menacing.

"It's such a shame about your demotion. Falling out of favor with both the King and the prince." She made a tsking sound then. "Was all of this really worth it Sabbath?"

I was getting asked similar from all manner of people, my head nodding resolutely. "Yes!"

"You should have just killed the girl when I asked you to!" Haggar grumbled. My hackles rose, I was even more angry now that she had said that. But I managed to keep from letting that anger cloud my judgment completely.

"Why haven't you done it?" I asked. "If she's such a danger I mean?" Haggar hesitated, looking nervous. "Or do you fear the prince's wrath so much, that you didn't want to get your hands dirty? Is that it? You wanted to eliminate the threat without any suspicion being cast on you?"

"You were the perfect candidate to do this." She retorted without answering my exact question. "You were close to the princess, she trusted you. It wouldn't have been hard to slip a dagger between her breasts."

"Were?" I questioned sharply. "You speak in the past tense witch...why is that?"

"King Zarkon now has an interest in the girl." Haggar sighed, looking upset. "If something were to happen to her now, he would be...greatly bothered by it."

"Is she that important to his plans now?" I demanded, wondering how much information I could wring out of the witch.

"Yes." She allowed me that knowledge. "She's of vital importance. The time to end Romelle's threat is no more...destiny will play out...one way or another..."

"Does that mean you've given up on trying to kill her?" I wanted to be sure, to have the witch confirm she would not be making any attempts on Romelle's life.

"It's unfortunate but yes..." Haggar then glared at me, eyes narrowed. "None of this would have happened if you had ended her life on Pollux! You'd still be commander Sabbath, the girl would never have known betrayal or rape at Lotor's hands. It's all your fault what has happened, this inaction of yours holding the potential to damn us all!"

I gasped, the witch having poked a clawed finger against my chest, right over where my heart beat. I didn't like that she blamed me for what had happened to Romelle, but the truth was she was right. I had been inactive, my refusal to do anything about Romelle's imprisonment leading to her suffering at Lotor's hands.

"You don't know that for certain though." She was unsettled, stepping away from me.

"It's a gamble yes." Haggar agreed. "Just as I never know for certain if a robeast will win against Voltron. I've no guarantee that trouble will manifest itself because of Romelle's contnued survival...but if it was up to me, I'd have ended the threat of her for sure."

"But it's not up to you..." I called out to her, the witch having proceeded to walk away. "It's in the Gods' hands now..."

"And that worries me all the more." Came Haggar's soft murmur. I stood staring after her, wondering if fate was really inescapable. Maybe everything that happened was part of some grand design, some plan that would ultimately lead us and Doom to either greatness or an end. I couldn't know for sure though, and yet I was slowly on my way to becoming disillusioned with not only my King and prince, but with the way things were done in the Doom Empire.

I would be thinking about this as I made my way to the dungeons. It bothered me that I was the only one to try and stand up for Romelle. The soldiers onboard the ship to Nieve, had been hiding their feelings when Lotor abused her. Hell, they had hid their true thoughts while had he had had ME beat. No one had tried to interfere, no one had asked the prince not to do it. I suppose it could have been because they knew he would have killed him for their interference, but...what sort of people allowed their leader to kill based on whims and momentary anger?

Lotor was like a spoiled child, a three year old throwing tantrums when he did not get his way. He was quick to resort to violence, to solve his problems with the slashing of his sword. The people under his command shouldn't have accepted such behavior, and yet they did. It wasn't just Lotor, other high ranking Drules were known to abuse those lower then them in the chain of command. Why did we all accept this, why did we continue such cycles of abuses?

I was well familiar with how the soldiers thought. As a low ranking soldier, you spent much of your time trying to stay off the radar of other Drules. You might even hope to one day gain enough power to deal out the same abuse you had received. No one tried to change the system, they just continued the abuse of power. No wonder we were so vicious, if that's how it was in our military.

I knew with my demotion, I was now in danger. I never went out of my way to make enemies, but sometimes you don't have to do anything to earn a person's dislike. I was doubly damned when one considered how angry Lotor was with me. He could make arrangements for my life to be made miserable upon my return to active duty. And yet I still insisted on going to Romelle, bluffing my way through the dungeons. I didn't exactly lie, but neither was I truthful, allowing the guards on duty there to believe I was still a commander.

Romelle was back a cell that contained all female prisoners. It was as dank and dirty as any other in this dungeon, the mud already staining the hem of the princess' dress. She wasn't concerned with that though, hurrying over to the bars, gripping them as she stared at me. "What is happening Sabbath?"

"The King has dealt out punishments to the guilty parties." I informed her. "I've been demoted to Lieutenant..." I lowered my voice to a whisper, though no other Drule was near. Romelle gasped, hand flying to cover her mouth.

"Demoted?"

I nodded, grim. "I'm to leave the castle shortly. I'm not to return until the King calls for me." She looked panicked at the thought of my leaving, reaching through the bars to clutch at my hands. "I've made arrangements to have Doctor Shabatoba check in on you frequently. You will not be alone during this..."

"But you'll be gone..." Romelle whispered sadly.

"Gone, but you'll always be in my thoughts. And the Gods willing, I'll be back soon enough." Not that I thought I could do much more for her, regardless of when I returned to the castle.

"But..."

"There's more..." I hurriedly cut her off. "You're safe from Lotor for now. The King has placed him under house arrest. He's expressly forbidden him to come near you. Unfortunately you'll have to remain in the dungeons but..."

"I'd rather the dungeons than suffer one more minute in Lotor's presence!" Romelle said fiercely.

"I'm sorry I can't make things better for you." I added with a sigh. "But I now lack the power to enforce things. Shabatoba is doing a great favor to me by agreeing to monitor your situation in my place..."

"I'm sorry..." Her eyes went downcast. "It's my fault you were demoted...and beaten." I reached through the bars to gently cup her right cheek. She looked up at my touch, surprised.

"There's nothing to apologize for." I told her. "You did what you had to, to escape from him. I can't blame you for that."

"Yeah..." A weak sigh, Romelle still looking sad.

"Stay on guard Romelle. The King is plotting. I don't know what, but he intends to use you in his schemes..." I heard footsteps approaching, and did one last caress of her cheek. "I have to go now..."

"Stay well Sabbath..." Romelle ordered of me. "I don't know what I'd do without you..." She was about to find out, the upcoming weeks' separation being tough on the both of us. But in different ways. I nodded, then did a low bow of respect to her, before turning to face the approaching guards. They looked alternately annoyed and apprehensive, as if they couldn't believe I had tricked them.

I would be dragged from the dungeons, and promptly escorted to the docks. A transport would be waiting for me, along with a soldier to drive me to my home. I was allowed no more delays, being forced to leave the castle, practically in disgrace. I didn't care, couldn't relax, my only concerns with the girl in the dungeons. Romelle lay heavy on my mind, and there was nothing or no one who could change that fact.

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Lotor Sincline, thanks again! Thanks so much for all your kind words. *pleased purr* One thing I constantly struggle with in this story is how to keep Sabbath alive. I mean it left my hands and his tied, because he couldn't do too much rebelling yet against Lotor without getting killed by the prince. But he's well on his way to doing some eventually. A strong part of me thinks Lotor kept Sabbath alive this long just to torment him with what he would/could do to Romelle...X_X


	28. Chapter 28

My home is located less than an hour's ride from the castle. In a city called Kesodonia, where many a noble and high ranking military official live. The deeper into Kesodonia, the more fancy the houses become. The prices for those houses followed suit, so that only the richest of nobles could afford to make a home in the heart of the city. My own apartment was located on the outskirts of Kesodonia, amidst many other ambitious military personnel. It was a sector filled with my own kind, men and women who didn't have a noble upbringing, but had managed to buy into respectability.

Suffice it to say, my rent wasn't cheap. Enough that I was concerned that my Lieutenant's pay wouldn't be enough to allow me to retain my apartment in the long run. But for now I had enough savings to be able to continue to live in Kesodnia. If I couldn't win back my commander's salary, I'd have to start looking elsewhere to live. Once that would have bothered me, but now it merely earned a grumble of annoyance.

What did it matter if I was to lose my current home when I was far more concerned with the happenings at the castle? Particularly the dungeons, and the fate of one imprisoned princess? Keeping me away from the castle, from Romelle, was a far more effective punishment than that of my demotion. No doubt Zarkon had known enough of the situation to realize that, and had acted to punish me in a manner that would hurt the most.

Of course I wasn't completely cut off from the goings on at the castle. I had Doctor Shabatoba to rely on. But I could only gather a civilian's view point of what was happening, Shabatoba not privy to a more knowledgeable view of the Empire's plans. Frankly a lot of what he told me, was no more informative than the daily news holos.

Those holos were always reporting on Lotor's failings. And there was many. Seedlings of plans I had seen planted months ago, would come into bloom now. But too

little did they bear fruit, the plots ultimately doing little to the people of Arus save to provide small nuisances. Those poisonous flower seeds our ships had scattered onto Arus' surface? They eventually grew to cover the entire planet, the people falling ill from their fragrance. Even the princess of Arus fell victim.

And yet luck was on the humans' side. The poison pollen could be negated by a different kind of flower, a rose found only on the planet Lyra. Lotor would be allowed to travel to Lyra, to lay a trap for the remaining members of the Voltron force. Only one would come, and though our forces had attempted to destroy all the flowers some seedlings remained.

Those seedlings were brought back to Arus, a cure being made and administered to the princess and her people. The people would recover in time for another attack from Doom. Hagger's carnivorous rats came into play, the creatures attempting sabotage inside the castle. When that didn't work, they came together to form one giant robeast. It was another failing on Haggar's part, her monster dying on Voltron's blazing sword.

Lotor would manage an encounter or two with Princess Allura. Those moments weren't broadcast on the holos, the castle's PR trying to downplay the prince's obsession with the princess of Arus. I only learned of them through Doctor Shabatoba, the man privy to both Zarkon and the prince's very public arguments. It appeared Lotor had gotten so close to Allura on one such occasion, he had been inside her bedroom. And still she had managed to escape him.

Romelle could have suffered in her cousin's place, but Zarkon's orders still stood. Lotor was barred from coming near her, so long as he continued to keep success out of the Empire's hands. Plan after plan would be enacted, and no matter what Doom attempted to do to Arus, the Empire would lose.

Subsequently, deaths were on the rise at the castle, Lotor and Zarkon both so angry they were more murderous than usual. Heads would roll, and backs would be speared, father and son taking out their disappointments on any convenient target. It was not a good time to be at the castle. I dare say if I had retained my commander rank, I too might have been killed for Lotor's failures. After all, the prince was busy blaming any and everyone he could. People were rising in rank at a rapid pace, only to die within days of their promotions.

There isn't much to talk about regarding Romelle during these times. The princess spent an endless amount of time in the dungeons. It would have appeared she had been forgotten completely, although Lotor and Zarkon were both biding their time. There was a plan brewing, something in which the King felt the princess was integral to. But Doctor Shabatoba could not guess as to what. He simply continued to watch over Romelle, keeping her healthy for the day Zarkon would have use of her.

It was torturous being away from Romelle. I worried constantly, and not even Shabatoba's reports could reassure me completely. I needed to see her with my own eyes, see for myself that she was as well as could be given her situation. Romelle needed the same thing in regard to me, the girl desperately questioning the doctor about my health and activities. It felt good to be in her thoughts, even if much of them were things that kept her worrying needlessly.

I was slow to heal, having retained injury upon injury on Lotor's orders. A broken rib wasn't an easy thing to heal. There was virtually nothing I could do, save to rest and stay off my feet. Certain acts would send sharp pains shooting through me, even breathing too deeply was painful. I experienced swelling about my body, and not just over my ribs. I had been pummeled so often, I was covered in bruises, though they eventually faded.

It would take nearly six weeks for my ribs to heal completely, and by that time the bruises had faded. I no longer looked so pathetic, and the swelling on my face had gone down so that I no longer saw a stranger when I looked in a mirror.

It would be just over two months before Zarkon demanded my return to active duty. Enough time had gone by that I thought he had forgotten all about me. But when the orders came, I couldn't hurry fast enough to the castle.

Loud whispers seemed to herald my arrival, the gathered Drules in a tizzy. I didn't know what had set them off, but knew enough to realize something of importance was about to happen. I shouldered my way through the crowd, angling for a position to the front of the group. As I did this, I picked up stray tidbits, certain things standing out among the whispers.

The gathered nobles were speaking about a marriage, of Lotor finally being tied to a woman. I couldn't help but feel alarm, thinking of Romelle in the dungeons. Could Lotor have finally gained permission from his father to wed the princess? Did Lotor even still want her in that manner? Had Shabatoba mislead me on the situation surrounding Romelle, to the point Lotor had gotten over his disappointments and once again sought her hand?

With growing unease, I retained a position near the front of the crowd. Close enough to the throne that Zarkon was sure to see me. But he gave no acknowledgment of my presence, did not so much as meet my gaze with a nod. It only fostered my worry. I began to think Zarkon had called me back to the castle for a specific purpose, a punishment. Surely the King would have known how much it would have pained me to see Romelle wed Lotor. It would have given him great amusement to watch me try to remain composed during the official ceremony.

Sick with worry, I would remain apart from the conversations all around me. Lotor would arrive some time later, Captain Adamentius escorting him before the throne. That surprised me, and led me to believe Lotor was still under house arrest. The prince himself wore an angry scowl, a hand on his hip as he glared up at his father.

"Well, father?" Lotor demanded with an angry drawl. "What now? What scheme have you come up with this time? How will you have me attempt to defeat Voltron? Another great weapon? Another one of Haggar's robeasts?"

There was an undercurrent of weariness to Lotor's words. Zarkon had worked him hard during my two month absence. Plan after plan going into effect and failing. It appeared Lotor was as sick of failure as the rest of us, though it might just have been he was tired of doing his father's bidding. Tired of being imprisoned in the castle, set free only to enact his father's plans to conquer Arus.

"Worry not my bumbling son." Zarkon seemed in good spirits, especially given the contrast of Lotor's mood. "I've not called you here for another attempt on Arus."

"Oh?" Lotor was more wary than shocked. If I had been in his position, kept away from the gossip of the court, I too would have been worried. I would have assumed Zarkon had finally tired of my failures, and was moving to dispose of me. "Then what?"

Zarkon wasn't ready to make his big reveal, leaning back against his throne. "Lotor, you've been working too hard lately."

"And whose fault is that?" Lotor demanded, tone impertinent.

Zarkon took no offense to Lotor's tone, looking far more relaxed than I had ever seen him. "I'm thinking you need a break from it all."

"A break?" Lotor was suspicious, immediately voicing his concerns. "Doom cannot afford for me to rest easy. Not while Arus and it's robot are still a threat! Father, they've moved on from just defending their own holdings. The Voltron Force is actively going to other worlds, attempting to free them from our grasp. There is no time for breaks, not until Voltron is defeated, Arus subdued."

"Worry not Lotor. You are not the only one I can rely on to continue the fight against Arus." Zarkon's retort was practically purred out, leaving me to wonder who he had in mind. The same wonder was in Lotor, the prince naming names.

"Then who? Haggar? Mogor?" He snorted then, but wasn't amused. "Their incompetence knows no bounds."

A scowling Haggar stepped out of the crowd, her blue kitty riding across her shoulders. The cat shared her glare, staring at Lotor with ugly menace. "I would not speak of incompetence if I was you, young prince. Not after you had Allura four times in your grasp, and lost her each time!"

"That was..."

"That was what Lotor?" demanded Haggar. "What was it, if not incompetence of a magnified sort. If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were messing up on purpose where she is concerned!"

Haggar's retort angered the prince enough for Lotor to take a step towards her. The air turned menacing, Captain Adamentius grabbing hold of Lotor. The prince struggled, trying to get free while the witch let out an angry laugh.

"You go too far witch!" Lotor snarled.

"I go not far enough!" She replied. "I come up with the perfect plans, the perfect robeasts. And you waste them each time!"

"I would not be calling attention to those monsters if I was you." Lotor hissed. "They all died at Voltron's hands. They were all imperfect creations that ultimately cost us victory!"

Haggar gasped in response, but before she could get out more than a few words, Zarkon was speaking over her. "As amusing as this all is, I did not call you here Lotor to watch you trade blame with my witch." Lotor and Haggar were still glaring at each other, the prince not responding to his father. "Let go of your anger, and show some interest boy!"

Only Zarkon could get away with calling Lotor a boy. Though in truth the King had called the prince far worse names than that. Sullen faced, Lotor turned back towards the throne, gazing up at his father with an expectant look in his eyes. Zarkon nodded grudgingly, seeming appeased for the moment. "That's better." He raised his scepter, tapping the end of it on the floor three times in quick succession. It was a signal for the guards to pull open the main doors, trumpets heralding the arrival of someone important.

We all turned, the crowd and I, even Lotor. I expected to see Romelle being dragged into the room, the whispers of Lotor's impending marriage heavy in my mind. But it was not the princess of Pollux who strode into the room. Instead it was a statuesque red head, the woman far taller than Romelle. Her dress was far less modest than anything Romelle had ever chosen to wear. Colored in black and yellow silks, the woman's top was more brassier than bodice. A generous portion of her top had been cut away, so that the globes of her breasts were on tempting display, as was her belly.

The red skirts trailed down to the floor, covering her feet and extending behind her. Her arms were bare save for expensive silver and gold bracelets. For all the flesh she exposed, this woman surprisingly kept her face covered. A veil extended from over her nose to down past her chin. I was surprised to note she wore a crown, a jade creation that's center piece extended into that of a cobra.

The murmurs of the nobles continued, growing louder as this woman was introduced. "Presenting Princess Corral of planet Demos."

The guards were forcing the crowd to open up a path to the throne's dais. This princess Corral walked with her head held high, a small entourage accompanying her. The men and women of her escorts would stop at the edge of the crowd, leaving their princess to approach the throne alone.

I glanced Lotor's way, seeing his eyes had narrowed, his lips turning down in a frown. He didn't know who this girl was, didn't understand why a human could walk unmolested to the throne. He was even more surprised when Zarkon stood up, a great fang flashing smile on his face as he gave welcome to the princess. "Greetings Corral. It is good of you to join us."

Princess Corral bowed her head in acknowledgment, drawing to a stop a few inches from Lotor. The prince looked her over for one brief moment, eyes lingering on her exposed cleavage. She was generously gifted in that area, and even Lotor could not resist staring even though he was uneasy with the princess' arrival. But then he scowled, and whirled around to face his father.

"Father, what is this?"

"A surprise my son!" Zarkon continued to grin, his eyes intent on Lotor. "I've invited Princess Corral here with a specific purpose in mind." He paused too long, all in order to build up anticipation for his next words. "Princess Corral will be your bride."

Those words of his sent the nobles into a frenzy, gasps and chatter erupted from the crowd. I myself sagged with relief, realizing it was not Romelle who would be forced to marry Lotor this day.

Lotor himself had gone stiff with shock, staring up at his father with a displeased expression. Zarkon's expression was more smirk than smile, the King enjoying Lotor's reaction.

"Princess Corral is from Demos. I'm sure you have heard of them." Zarkon was saying. He spoke not just to Lotor, but for the benefit of the gathered nobles. "The Demos Empire is mighty, strong enough to rival Doom's. The Demos Empire is the terror of the next galaxy over, having subjugated many a world and it's people. Demos' reputation is that of strong, evil minded people who get what they want. If we unite with them through this marriage, there will be nothing and no one to stand in our way. Not even Voltron!"

He knew how to play to the crowd, the nobles letting out an ecstatic cheer. They liked the thought of increasing the empire's power, liked the thought of finally defeating Voltron. Lotor however, was more concerned with how this marriage would affect his plans, the prince continuing to scowl.

"And what of Allura?"

"You must forget Allura!" It was Haggar who spoke, the witch approaching Lotor. He turned to look at her, the witch coming to a stop next to Corral. She gestured at the princess, Corral studying Lotor intently. "The interest of the Empire prevails!"

Corral at last chose to speak, her voice a pleasing lilt. Her words were foreign though, not many in the room could understand her. I caught her name being spoken amidst the babble, and then she was reaching up to remove her veil. Her face was as lovely as her body was pleasing, rosy red lips smiling shyly at Lotor as she went down to her knees.

Lotor scowled at her, before rudely turning away. "Hmph." It was a clear dismissal on his part, but Corral didn't seem to take offense.

"She is in the midst of learning our language. And take note! She is shy and pretty." Haggar was trying to extoll Corral's virtues.

"You behave with disrespect." Zarkon told Lotor.

"And why not?" Lotor demanded angrily. "You don't respect my feelings in this!"

"Stop whining! You have no feelings!" Zarkon was angry now, pointing his scepter at Lotor. "You are an instrument of evil as I raised you to be!"

Lotor did not back down, rushing up the steps of the throne's dais before anyone could stop him. "Father!" His tone was urgent, Lotor near frantic. "Corral is an alien! She'll be unhappy here! If I can wed Allura you can have Arus and all that you desire!"

I thought it ironic that the argument he used against Corral could be applied to Allura as well. The princess of Arus would no sooner be happy on Doom, than any other alien woman. And yet Lotor didn't give a damn about Allura's unhappiness, too desperate for her.

"Give me one more chance father!" pleaded Lotor.

"Fool!" Zarkon bellowed out his anger. "This marriage will unite the two most evil forces in the universe! Think of the beauty of it, our power will be supreme!"

Lotor seemed to ignore what his father was saying, all but begging for another chance to get Allura. "Just one more chance father! I'll find a way to capture Allura!"

"Let the prince have his way in this." It was Haggar who spoke now. Lotor was as surprised as Zarkon was annoyed, the two men looking towards the witch now. "And if he should fail in this, he will cease all his protests and marry Princess Corral with a smile on his face." She gazed at Lotor, who was still recovering from his surprise. "Is that agreeable to you, Lotor?"

He nodded. "I won't fail in this. Allura will be mine!"

"Just remember...you agreed to this marriage before all of my court." Zarkon told him. "When you come crawling back to Doom, with your tail between your legs, you WILL marry Corral."

Lotor didn't dignify that with a retort, hurrying past Corral without so much as a glance in her direction. Captain Adamentius hurried after him, no doubt working under Zarkon's orders to follow the prince.

"Do you really think that was wise?" Zarkon demanded of the witch. "We only serve to encourage his delusions."

"Let him dream for a little while longer." Haggar retorted. "In the meantime, I shall prepare for the wedding."

"Do that." Zarkon said, giving a little dismissive wave to the witch. He retook his seat, and his eyes sought mine out in the crowd. "Ah Lieutenant. So good of you to join us."

"My King." I dropped sharply into a respectful bow, pleased my ribs did not protest such a movement. "What work would you have me do?"

"The princess Corral will be in need of a guide. Someone to show her the way of things on Doom, as well as protect her from any unfortunate happenings." Zarkon told me. My eyes widened in understanding. He expected someone, maybe even Lotor, to make a move against the princess. "I am appointing you as Corral's personal guard. Do well and you may find yourself gaining back your previous rank."

"Yes, sire." I stepped away from the crowd, walking towards the kneeling Corral. Haggar said something to her in the Demosian language, the princess rising off the floor. She turned to me, and her eyes gave me the once over before Corral smiled a shy smile. I couldn't muster a smile for her, but I did give her a respectful bow.

"This is Lieutenant Sabbath." Haggar was saying as she gestured towards me. "He will tend to your every need." Corral nodded in understanding. I wondered how much of our language she really understood. Did she know of Lotor's attempt at rejection? What did she think of Lotor's rude behavior, of the way he had hurried out of the throne room? Corral may not have been fluent in Drule, but she was not stupid. She could read the atmosphere around her, enough to know of Lotor's displeasure.

And she was curious, a fact that became apparent as I attempted to lead her away from the throne room. "Lieutenant..." Her voice was accented, tongue faltering on some of the more growled out sounds of my language. "Who...who is Allura?"

I paused, uncertain of what to tell her. My hesitation had her stepping closer to me, the princess laying a solicitous hand on my arm. "Allura? Who is she?"

I wasn't sure how I could explain to her, how I could compress Lotors obsession into simple enough words for the princess to understand. "She is the one Lotor...wants." I refused to say he loved Allura. I felt Lotor was incapable of that emotion. Corral's red eyes were curious, her head tilting to the side. "She is a princess of another world...an enemy of the Doom Empire."

"Ah..." Corral's eyes lightened with understanding. "Forbidden love."

"Something like that." I was uncomfortable, and longing for a chance to sneak away and see Romelle. But there was obstacles in place, and not just the fact that I was to shadow Corral's every movement. Doctor Shabatoba had made mention of how Zarkon had increased the numbers of guards on duty in the dungeon. I had doubts I could bluff my way past that many, knowing it would be a long time if ever before I got to see Romelle again.

Corral was sighing, sounding wistful. I glanced back at her, and saw the thoughtful look in her eyes. The wheels were turning in her head, though what she was thinking I could not know. Nor did I try to pry, my own thoughts more consumed with my own problems and that of Romelle's. I was conscious of one thing though, well aware as assignments went, guarding Corral wasn't too difficult a hardship. I could have done far worse upon my return to the castle, and I wondered why Zarkon had given me such a break.

It was a question that would go unanswered, the next two days of my life spent playing tour guide to Corral. She'd often ask me about Lotor, the girl curious about her future husband. I tried to answer as best as I could, though I was conscious that the King would not like it if I badmouthed his son to the princess. I wouldn't know it then, but Corral was coming up with her own scheme, one that would thwart the plans of both empires.

Erg...this start and end was difficult for me for this chapter. Not completely thrilled with the ending paragraphs...Lot of Voltron episodes happened during the two months Sabbath was gone from the castle. Here's where I play a little loose with the time line, having Corral's episode and the comet episode occurring closer together. Of course the events of the comet episode have yet to begin...but I just wanted to clarify where this one falls into place...

To Be Continued...

Michelle


	29. Chapter 29

Princess Corral would continue to question me about Lotor at every available opportunity. But her interest didn't lie so much with her future husbands' likes and dislikes, Corral being far more interested in Lotor's romantic history. She was especially fascinated with his interest in Allura, the princess full of questions to the point that sometimes she didn't know the right words to use in my language. I could see that the limits of the language barrier frustrated Corral, though it didn't stop her from prying.

I would tell Corral what I could, detailing the close encounters Lotor had had with the princess of Arus. There wasn't that many, and I found what had happened wasn't particularly romantic. Certainly not romantic enough to earn the wistful sighs of Corral, the princess looking dreamy eyed at the thought of Lotor's forbidden love. There was something going on there, something beyond the surface of what Corral showed me.

I wouldn't find out what that something was until nearly two days later. Corral and I would be inside one of the spare banquet halls, watching the slaves as they hurried about to get things ready for the upcoming wedding. Fine drapery of black and blood red velvet were covering the walls, the colors chosen specifically for a Drule wedding. The black laced table cloths were being spread out, and bunches of balloons were being gathered and adhered to the corners of the hall.

Even as she kept one eye on the proceedings, Corral attempted to talk to me. Her voice, always so halting and uncertain when she tried to speak my language, was at a low chirp.

"When Lotor see Allura...Lotor know?"

"Know what?" I asked, watching a slave struggle with marble drink fountain. He was coming perilously close to dropping it, an action that would get him whipped for sure. But none of the other slaves were free to come to the man's assistance. Each one was busy with their own tasks.

"That it love." Corral clarified.

Still watching the slave with the fountain, I didn't need long to think about her question. "He knew she was the one he wanted from the first moment he laid eyes on her." But I didn't say it was love. It didn't matter. Corral would choose to interpret my words however she wished, building Lotor up to be this great romantic figure.

Corral was quiet then. Out the corner of my eye I could see her staring off into the distance. Her look was thoughtful, Corral bringing up a hand to touch her red hair. This time when she sighed, it was a sad sound. It drew my full attention to the princess, and I noted her frown.

"Lotor...doesn't want Corral." She announced. I didn't know what to say to that. the statement harsh and all too true. Lotor had an instant dislike for his future bride, and the prince had gone out of his way to show it. He avoided Corral when he could, and those few times Zarkon had forced Lotor to meet with Corral, the prince had blatantly been rude to her face. It was apparent to all that he would not be a kind and caring husband, certainly not to Corral.

"Lotor should be with Allura." Corral said this with a firm nod. "Lotor won't be happy with Corral."

That too was true, though I wondered if anyone could truly make Lotor happy. He wanted Allura, but I wondered for how long his satisfaction with her would last once it became apparent she wouldn't love him back. I had seen how quickly he had turned on Romelle, his disappointments with her rejections making him nasty and cruel. Even more so than usual.

"And Corral...Corral won't be happy with Lotor!" She added after a moment's pause. I turned my full attention on her, wide eyed and shocked. She didn't look sad though, she look determined.

I didn't try to protest what she had said, nodding dully in agreement. It only fired her up further, Corral continuing to speak. "Corral won't marry Lotor." Slowly I blinked, wondering if it was that simple. The marriage was an arrangement between the two empires, surely her father wouldn't let her back down from it anymore than Zarkon would let Lotor.

"What's this?" A familiar voice from behind me, I quickly lurched to my feet and turned. Corral rose with me, but she hadn't paled. She wasn't bothered that her declaration had been heard, nor did she realize the danger that came with the one who approached us.

"Haggar!" I hissed out her name, venom practically coating my words. She ignored me, giving the slightest of bows to the princess Corral.

"What is this about you not marrying the prince?" She wanted to know.

Corral lifted her chin, expression defiant. "Corral knows. Lotor won't be happy with Corral."

Haggar glanced at me, a tsk escaping her. "Just what have you been telling the princess about his highness?"

"Nothing like you suspect." I retorted. "She merely wanted to know about Lotor and his...desire for Allura."

"Lotor love Allura. Not Corral." Interjected the princess. "And Corral? Corral no love Lotor!"

"You'll find love has little to do when it comes to political matches." Haggar told her. "You have to put aside such things for the good of your people. The two Empires must be united as one..."

"No." A stubborn insistence from Corral, her gaze level as she stared at the witch. "Corral do that once. Corral not do it again."

I was surprised at that, but I didn't have to wonder what she meant for long. Haggar was quickly explaining, a sigh escaping her. "Ah yes. I had heard something about you having a lover. Some lesser noble that your father has deemed would not be a good match for you. Princess Corral, you must forget about that man and embrace the prince as your husband."

"No." More stubborn defiance from Corral, the princess crossing her arms over her chest. "Corral marry for love. Lotor marry Allura!"

Haggar slid her glance my way, as if this was all my fault. I could merely shrug, content to let Haggar deal with the stubborn princess. "If Lotor doesn't marry you, you will be sent back to your kingdom in disgrace. Do you want that?"

Even Corral hesitated at that thought, a fact Haggar tried to play on. "Your father will be most displeased. He may even disown you."

I could practically see Corral's mind working, the girl seizing on an idea. The words failed her, Corral switching to her language. Haggar listened and turned annoyed, her expression angry. "You little fool!" She hissed in Drule, abandoning all need to be polite. "You think that will be okay. That you will abandon the kingdom to marry someone beneath you? That he will even still want you once you are not a princess?"

Corral was sure of her love, nodding in response to Haggar's words. The witch looked exasperated beyond belief, eyes rolling skyward for guidance. If she could have, Haggar would have cast a love spell to make Corral and Lotor both be compliant. But love was the one thing even magic could not force. It complicated things needlessly, this insistence both the prince and princess had about marrying for love.

"Corral help Lotor get Allura." The princess added. Haggar arched an eyebrow at that, but she was still too aggravated to be amused.

"Oh? And how will you do that?" Corral shrugged, and glanced at me. I had no suggestions for her, nor was I eager to see Allura be brought to Doom.

"You don't even have a clue how to accomplish that." Grumbled Haggar. But a calculating look had come to her eyes, the witch staring at Corral in consideration. "Very well, let witch Haggar help you both out." Before Corral or I could say anything, Haggar held up a finger. "But my help does not come without a price."

"And what price would that be?" I asked, wary on behalf of the princess.

"If Lotor fails to get Allura this time, Corral will still marry our prince. There will be no more of these complaints, these attempts to get out of the marriage. Both Lotor and Corral will marry each other, and forget about those that they love."

Corral was nodding rapidly in agreement, seeming confidant Lotor would manage to obtain his heart's desire. I was nowhere near as sure, thinking this had all the makings of a tragedy.

"So what will you do?" I asked Haggar. "How will you accomplish the impossible?"

"Nothing is impossible." She retorted. "Some things are just more difficult than others."

"Invite Allura to Doom." Corral spoke up, showing she hadn't understood about the princess of Arus' reluctance to be anywhere near Doom or it's prince "Lotor marry her then."

"No, she won't come if we ask." Haggar told her. Corral cocked her head to the side, a question in her eyes. "She fears the prince's father." I couldn't help it, I did a rude snort of sound. It was not just Zarkon Allura feared, but Lotor and his desire for her.

"You have something to say Lieutenant?" Haggar growled out, not expecting a reply. But I couldn't help myself, the words all but being blurted out.

"She'd sooner die than come to Doom, and you know it."

Haggar opened her mouth to respond, then abruptly closed it. A calculating gleam appeared in her eyes, the witch reaching up to stroke her claws over her chin. "If the princess of Arus were to die..." She spoke slowly, turning over an idea in her mind. "It would make things easier..."

"Lotor would be pissed if you killed her!" I retorted, alarmed.

"Oh, I won't harm the princess. Not permanently at least."

"What are you saying? Have you gone mad?" I demanded. "Death IS permanent."

"Not when magic is involved." Haggar turned away and strode over to one of the banquet tables. Corral and I followed her, watching as the witch picked up one wicked looking blade. It was a carving knife, meant to tear easily into the flesh of meat. Like many of the King's belongings, it was ornate, richly endowed with silver and jewels. Haggar held it up, watching the light gleam off the blade. "Yes, this will do quite nicely."

"What are you plotting?" I snarled. "What do you intend to do?"

"You'll find out soon enough Lieutenant." Haggar answered, and gestured for Corral and I to follow her. "Come along your highness. We shall go pay Prince Lotor a visit."

Corral nodded, already following Haggar towards the hall's exit. I stood for a moment, staring after them, not sure I wanted to face the prince's wrath when Haggar began talking about killing Allura. A crash from behind me alerted me to the fact that the slave had indeed dropped the fountain. A guard was already rushing towards him, whip in hand to punish the slave. It was a typical response to a slave messing up, and yet it bothered me more than it had in months past.

I reached out with a hand, snagging the guard's arm. "Leave him." I told him, not looking towards the slave. "It was an accident."

"Accident or not, he broke an expensive marble fountain!" retorted the guard, his expression aghast at my interference.

"It wouldn't have happened if someone had gone to help him!"

"That's a slave's work!" snapped the guard, and jerked his arm free of my grip. "You don't have any authority here, LIEUTENANT." He added, stressing my demotion. I snarled wordlessly, and stalked away from the hall. I didn't want to watch the slave get whipped, but the sounds of leather cracking against flesh chased me out into the corridor.

Haggar and Corral were a ways down from the exit, both looking impatient as they waited for me to catch up. It reminded me that there was an air of danger to Corral being here. There was many in both galaxies who didn't want this marriage to take place, fearing what a union between Doom and Demos would mean. We expected someone to make an attempt on the princess life, though frankly I thought they would be a fool to try anything when Haggar was present.

The witch was quiet save for a few chuckles under her breath. She had hidden the carving knife in her robes, and was walking with nonchalant ease. Corral was besides her, and I was brining up their rear. I was brimming with both curiosity and unease, impatient to know just what Haggar was planning. Corral was handling it better, her trust in the witch apparent by the way she didn't continuously question Haggar.

I couldn't help the shudder that went through me as we reached the hall where Lotor's apartment was kept. Just a few doors down from it, was the rooms he had once appointed to Romelle. I had not been back to this part of castle since Romelle's escape, and unpleasant memories fought to rise up and disturb me. I tried to push them back down, not wanting to remember the beatings and rape. But still my skin crawled with unease.

Haggar nodded her hellos to Captain Adamentius. She visited Lotor often enough during his confinement that the Captain did not question her arrival. Instead he preceded to open the door, Lotor's worried voice echoing out into the hallway.

"One chance. When I tried a thousand times!" He hadn't even noticed the opening of the door, too busy pacing in circles. He had his hands clasped behind his back, a studied look of concentration on his face as he walked back and forth across the floor. "Allura is always under guard. I've used every low trick known to devils!"

"That you have." Haggar broke into his thoughts, Lotor slowing and turning towards us. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Corral, it would take a moment for him to even notice me. But when he did, his look turned ugly, Lotor's hand going to his sword's hilt.

"YOU!" He growled. "You dare show your face here?"

"Lieutenant Sabbath has been assigned to guard the princess Corral." Haggar reminded him. "He goes where she goes."

"And why is SHE here then?" Lotor demanded, still looking like he wanted to rush me with his sword. I none too subtly slipped into a defensive stance, my hand casually resting on the holster of my laser pistol. I would not hesitate to draw and shoot the prince, though I regret I would only be able to get away with stunning him.

"You'll be happy to know the princess agrees with you." Haggar replied, grinning widely. I wondered if she was purposefully being cryptic, Lotor flashing the witch a scowl.

"She agrees with what?" Lotor demanded.

"She wishes you to wed the one you love, sire." Haggar answered.

Lotor was very self involved, not thinking to question why. Instead he resumed pacing, though he stay involved in the conversation. "That's very generous." Lotor said. "I wish she could tell me HOW!"

"Place it in my hands sire..." Haggar told him. "There is a way, but there is also a price."

"A price?" Lotor's pacing drew him closer to our group, the prince staring at Corral. "And what would the princess of Demos ask of me?"

"It's not the princess you'll have to pay." Haggar retorted. "Corral simply wishes to be free to marry the one she loves as well. You are both very similar in this regard."

"Then what is this price you speak of?" Lotor wanted to know.

"There are two things I ask of you." Haggar said. "The first is if this should fail..."

"It won't."

"IF it should fail..." continued Haggar. "You and Corral will wed each other."

"And the second?" Lotor demanded, eyeing the witch distrustfully.

"I demand a position of power in return for bringing you Allura." Haggar told him. "I must share the throne."

"Share the throne?" Lotor reared back in horror. "You want me to make you my Queen?" Even I felt ill at the thought.

"Settle down Prince Lotor. I am not so crazed as to want to marry you. But I do want the power, power that would be denied me even as your Queen. I want to be your equal when it comes to the throne. To be free to do as I want, and have no one make demands of me."

Lotor seemed reluctant to grant her such a thing, but at last he nodded. "Very well old witch. The wish will be granted IF You succeed. I want Allura to come willingly!"

"You ask for too much, your highness. Allura will never come here willingly..."

"Yes. She fears my father." No mention was made of Allura's fear of Lotor, the prince manifesting his delusions about her once more. "That's the problem."

"She will never accept your father." Agreed Haggar. "But the King can't live forever."

"Is that a threat against my father?" demanded Lotor, smirking.

"Oh, never that." Haggar returned his smirk. "Just pointing out a hard truth."

"I'm not content to wait out my father's life before getting Allura." Lotor sighed.

"You will just have to settle for Allura, unwilling though she may be."

"And how do you propose to bring her here, if she's so unwilling?" Lotor asked the question that was on my mind, Haggar's smirk deepening.

"By my dark sorcery of course."

"Ah yes." Lotor smiled for a moment. "But I don't want her harmed by you!"

"You worry needlessly. I know my ancient craft well." Haggar reached into her robes, withdrawing the carving knife. "This blade will do your bidding sire..."

"NO! It's a sharp weapon witch. It will hurt Allura!"

"It will do no more than put her into a deep sleep once I've imbued it with my magic!" Haggar retorted. "I will cast a spell upon this blade, one that will induce a death like sleep upon any whose flesh is scratched by it." Haggar flashed all of her teeth in her smile. "Those fools on Arus won't know what has happened, when the princess falls ill and dies!"

Lotor shuddered in distaste, visibly uneasy with the thought of Allura dying. "And then what?"

Haggar sighed, seeming annoyed with Lotor's need for her to spell everything out for him. "Before they bury the pretty princess, we shall kidnap her body. My spell should be such that Allura stays unconscious until we arrive on Doom."

Lotor considered her words, then smiled. "I like it witch. I like it a lot."

"Then come with me." Haggar said. "We must prepare for our trip to Arus."

"Yes." Lotor nodded, then glanced at Corral. The princess had been listening intently to the pair's exchange, but I wondered how much she understood. Was she confused by all that talk about Allura dying? Did Demos even associate with magic users as powerful as witch Haggar? I had a feeling I would be the one to field Corral's questions and concerns, and I nearly groaned at the thought of it.

"Thank you for caring." Lotor said to Corral, raising her hand to his lips. He brushed a kiss over her knuckles, and it seemed Corral wasn't immune to the charm Lotor was now showing her. She blushed, and quickly looked away.

We would be dismissed from Haggar and Lotor's presence, the pair heading to the tower where the witch's lair was kept. There they would stay, waiting for Haggar's enchantment to sink into the blade. A day later they would leave for Arus, and it surprised me the small number of ships they took with them. They weren't intent on engaging the enemy, wanting to sneak onto Arus, poison and kidnap the princess out from under the noses of her guardians.

Of course the plan wouldn't go off as smoothly as they had hoped. They did indeed succeed in using the blade on Allura, Haggar's cat scratching open her flesh so that the poison could sink inside her. Allura died that day, and in the resulting days that followed, a large funeral was held. All of Arus was out to attend, the people wanting to pay their respects to the princess.

Funerals take time to plan, especially one as large as the one held for the princess. It put Haggar's spell in jeopardy of wearing off sooner than anticipated. Lotor would just barely managed to steal the carriage carrying Allura in her coffin, and even then the Voltron Force did not give up the princess to him. I'm sure they thought Lotor even more sick and depraved than previously, what with him stealing what they assumed was the princess' corpse. They refused to let him defile Allura's body though, and a skirmish broke out. One that was ultimately won by the pilot of green lion.

Lotor and Haggar were forced to flee, and the princess of Arus was returned to her life and her home. Word quickly reached the King's ears of the prince's failure. Zarkon and his guard would be there to personally greet Lotor upon his arrival, as was Corral and I. The princess Corral was dressed in black, her flame colored hair standing out in brilliant contrast to the silk fabric of her wedding gown. Her veil muffled most but not all of her sobbing, the princess feeling her chance at love was over with now that she would be forced to wed Prince Lotor.

Our first glimpse of Lotor and the witch was the pair in mid argument, Lotor screaming at Haggar. "You tricked me old witch!" He was saying, the prince barely restrained by the guards. "You purposefully came up with a plan that would fail in order to force me to marry Corral!"

"The plan was a sound one." Haggar retorted. But she wasn't as calm as she usually appeared to be. It made me wonder if she and Lotor had been arguing the entire journey from Arus to Doom. "It's not my fault that the Voltron Force followed after us!"

"They were supposed to believe she was dead!" Lotor all but bellowed. "They should have left her body to me!"

"I suppose they think you that big a pervert, Lotor." Zarkon interjected himself into the argument. "Who knows what they thought you wanted to do to her body. I don't blame them for wanting to stop you."

Lotor turned to glare in his father's direction, and it was then that he first took notice of how Corral was dressed. "What's this?"

"What's it look like Lotor?" Zarkon demanded. "You're going to marry Princess Corral, as per your agreement."

"I will not!" Lotor struggled against the guards' hold, expression menacing.

"You will!"

"No, I will not!" Lotor broke free of the guard's hold, drawing his sword. Everyone, including myself, drew our pistols. We weren't sure who Lotor's intended target was, Lotor snarling like a vicious animal. "The only woman I will ever marry is Princess Allura of Arus." Heedless of the weapons aimed on him, Lotor charged down the ramp. He used his sword to deflect the few shots that came his way, running towards Corral.

Her gasp turned into a scream as I pulled her behind me. Lotor was still intent on Corral, and as he screamed, I took careful aim at him. "I will never wed you Corral!"

"What are you doing you fool?" Zarkon was heard growling. "You wish to cast us into a war with Demos by killing their crown princess?"

Lotor never got to answer, one of my blasts had managed to get through his sword's defense. It wasn't as satisfying as you might have imagined, I would have preferred to bring Lotor down with a more traditional weapon. But down he went, Lotor moaning as his sword clattered to the floor.

"Pick him up." Zarkon ordered with a sneer. "Someone get him ready for the wedding."

"NO!" It was Corral who spoke now, the princess shaking and clinging to my shirt's back. "Corral not marry Lotor!"

"That's not for you to decide!" Zarkon snapped at her, an angry glower being tossed her way.

"Lotor try kill Corral!" She retorted. "Corral NEVER marry Lotor now."

And she was right, Corral leaving the castle docks to go contact her father. Once the King of Demos heard of Lotor's attempt to personally assassinate the princess, he was outraged. Zarkon tried to smooth over matters with Demos' King, but the damage had been done. The King would not risk his only daughter to an unstable prince. Corral and her entourage would be sent back to Demos, untouched and unharmed. Zarkon could have held the princess prisoner, but he was aware of how powerful the Demos Empire was. With our forces already feeling the strain from the war with Arus, Doom could not afford to divide it's attention between Voltron and the Demos Empire.

Doom and Demos just narrowly avoided engaging in hostilities, the truce between them all but shattered. Those in both galaxies breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they had just barely managed to avoid the catastrophe that would have been the two evil empires united together.

Lotor's imprisonment would continue, and I would not earn a promotion. I didn't even approach Zarkon about it, knowing with the way things had turned out, the King would be more likely to kill me than reward me. But I felt it was no loss. My disillusionment with the Empire and it's rulers, with how they acted, and the things they attempted to do, would continue. I was becoming more and more certain that being the Empire's pawn was something I did not want to be. I was very close to breaking all ties with the Empire, all it would take was a little more pushing on Lotor's part.

Another one I'm not happy with the ending paragraph. -_-

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Wade Wells, thanks. When you think about it, Romelle is pretty strong in the cartoon as well. Going through all that she did, and still continuing to fight Doom. Heck coming back to planet Doom as a terrorist even! A lesser person might have just wanted to stay in hiding once they got off of that planet, and let other people deal with the problem that is Doom. But Romelle didn't. She insisted on doing her part. She rocks! So i couldn't not do her justice...at least...I hope I do her justice. :D

Lotor Sincline, thanks hon! Keep hoping for the happy ending for them. It's possible. *winks* At some point, Sabbath starts um...how do I say it...the only reason he remains in the Empire employment is to keep an eye on Lotor and Romelle. If Romelle wasn't thier prisoner, he'd have left a long time ago. That sort of situation is what starts happening with Sabbath. He knows if he turns his back now, ROmelle is left friendless, at Zarkon and even worse, at Lotor's mercy.

As for Corral, I'm kinda amused cause she sorta came out to be this big Lotor Allura fangirl. My main intent with her, was that Zarkon calls Sabbath back from his forced leave to be Corral's bodyguard/escort. The Sleeping Princess episode was hard to figure out..I watched both the Go Lion version and the Voltron version, and Corral's motives weren't very well explained in either. That was a disapointment...-_-


	30. Chapter 30

There was a lull of activity between Doom and Arus, following the falling apart of Lotor and Corral's engagement. Even inside the castle, things were far too quiet for any of our liking. We could feel the King's temper festering, his anger boiling to the point it would soon explode. No one would be safe when that happened. It left us all tip toeing around him, all to better avoid ending up on the executioner's block.

There wasn't much for me to do during this time. There were no planned missions at the moment, and with my demotion I wasn't privy to the plotting Haggar and the King were doing. Occasionally, new aliens would be brought to the home world. They would be forced to fight and die in the coliseum, the winners of those fights then being brought to Haggar's lab for augmentation. But none were sent to Arus, and I couldn't help but wonder if they weren't meeting with the witch's approval.

I couldn't spend all of my time worrying about what the leaders of the Doom Empire were up to. Not when I was noticing more and more the disgusting way the Drules inside the castle treated the slaves. It was bothering me more than ever, as though blinders had been lifted from my eyes. I could no longer hide from the kind of treatment those enslaved received from their masters. It was similar to the memories of my mother, the experiences she and the other slaves had endured at the hands of the brothel owner.

In some ways the treatment of the castle slaves was far worse than that of a brothel slave. Zarkon could afford to replace as many slaves as needed, and thus he didn't care if a slave was broken beyond repair. People were whipped and beaten, sometimes to the point of death. The Drules were very casual about this, regarding the slaves as no more than insects that needed to be crushed. They certainly didn't see them as people, as beings with the right to life and freedom.

More and more memories I had buried about the early years of my life, the years spent at my mother's side inside the brothel, came back to me. Some things I had forgotten rushing back in startling clarity. It left me tortured and haunted by nightmares, many a restless night passing me by. What's worse, I had no one I could really turn to, no one to discuss these memories with. Drules didn't really have therapy on, not like the humans had. Drules saw any admission of a persisting problem as a sign of weakness. To want and need therapy to get over these memories would have called into question my ability to perform. I might have even been dismissed from the castle, and my job. I couldn't afford that, not so long as Romelle remained a prisoner in the castle.

Romelle. It was because of her I stayed as long as I did. My concern for her, and my desire to be there for her. To run interference between her and her tormentors as best I could. For now she was relatively safe, seeming left to rot in the castle's dungeons. But I knew that could change at any moment, leaving me tense and on guard for whatever would be the next stage of our combined torment.

Of course during this time, I was still barred from visiting her. Zarkon had taken special care to make sure no one was allowed to visit Romelle, save for Doctor Shabatoba. The doctor made twice weekly visits to the princess, checking on her health and making sure she was keeping up her strength by eating the slop fed to all the prisoners.

It wasn't enough for either Romelle or myself to keep abreast of each other's situation through the doctor. We wanted, NEEDED to see each other. But that way was blocked. Not even Doctor Shabatoba could arrange a way for me to be snuck in to see Romelle. At best, the only solution Shabatoba could offer was that he would carry letters between us.

Naturally, with Romelle being stuck in the dungeons, she didn't have much to write about. At least not about her day to day happenings. Instead she would write me letters, talking about her memories of her life on planet Pollux. She'd paint pictures with her words, gifted enough to be able to allow me to taste the beauty of certain sights she had seen on Pollux. She expressed a wish to someday be able to return to those places, speaking on the pleasure it would give her to be able to personally show me those sights.

Is it possible to grow close to a person through letters alone? I believe so, our bond deepening through the misery that surrounded us. My own letters tried to be upbeat, but as I continued to be plagued with dissatisfaction with my Empire, and the nightmares of my past, I found myself opening up to Romelle in a way I had never before done with a woman.

I don't know if it was smart to use the communication with Romelle as a kind of outlet for my mental anguish. I shouldn't have been troubling her needlessly with my worries. But more than that, if she had been caught with the letters, I would have been in danger. In more ways than one. Fortunately, Doctor Shabatoba made sure to take the letters away from Romelle once she was done reading the latest. He'd personally see to their incineration, though I can't help but wonder if he ever took a look at their contents. Certainly he never betrayed any such doing to me, keeping his own thoughts private on how he felt about the whole situation.

I often wrote Romelle's letters while inside Shabatoba's private office. It felt like the only place I could truly be alone to think. But more than that, I felt connected to Romelle through the doctor. Many a time the letters went directly from my hand to Shabatoba's before the ink even had time to dry.

I was in the midst of writing such a letter when the quiet finally broke. I didn't realize it at first, thinking the Drule screaming was just an overly dramatic patient. I continued to stay focused on my letter to Romelle, telling her of what little news I had learned about Princess Corral's situation. It seemed Corral had not been allowed to wed her lover after all. Her father was determined to use her to seal an alliance with another kingdom, and was actively searching for suitable candidates for Corral's hand. I made mention that Corral's life would be happier if she could wed the man she loved, but also noted I thought the chances for her assassination would lessen if her father didn't try to use her to form a union with some other troublesome kingdom.

As I began to detail my calculated odds for the chance that Corral might run away with her lover, I became aware that the screaming persisted. In fact several voices were now shouting, rousing my curiosity. Just what was going on, I wondered. I folded up the letter, and set it aside in my pocket before opening the office door. A kind of pandemonium existed out in the hall, several injured soldiers being carried past me.

There was puddles of blood left in their wake. Nurses and orderlies were hurrying about, and I even spied Doctor Shabatoba inside one of the exam rooms. His gloves were soaked with blood, the doctor examining an open wound that had clearly been cut open with a sword. It took me seconds to recognize the Drule the doctor was laboring over, and when I did, I reacted with shock. It was Captain Adamentius!

I must have made a sound, a nurse looking at me. She followed my gaze into the exam room, and then hurried to close the door. "What's going on!" I demanded, stepping towards the nurse. My intent was to grab her, to shake the information I wanted out of the female. "Why is Captain Adamentius here, and not with his highness, prince Lotor?"

Almost as soon as I said that, I realized what must have happened. The wound that was so obviously made by a sword, tearing Adamentius away from Lotor's side. The nurse gave me a look, thinking me too slow to make the connection.

"The prince." I said, worry not yet making itself known in me. "He's done this, hasn't he?"

Two more soldiers were carried passed, the men barely conscious and moaning. I couldn't get a good look at their wounds, but it was clear no lasers had done this kind of damage. Shocked, I realized the prince must be on a rampage, and my first fear was that he would try to go to Romelle.

A lesser injured solider limped by, a gash on his left hip bleeding profusely. I didn't care that he needed medical attention, grabbing him by the same hand that tried to staunch the blood flow. "Prince Lotor! Where is he?" The soldier tried to shrug me off, but he was too weakened by the blood loss. "Tell me what you know!"

"The prince has gone mad!" The soldier announced. He looked at me like he thought I was crazy too. "He's gone after his father!"

Only somewhat relieved, I let go. I thought Lotor's chance of actually killing Zarkon was fifty-fifty. I was more worried what would happen immediately following Zarkon's death. Romelle and I had both existed on a kind of protection of the King. With Zarkon gone, there would be no one to stop Lotor from taking revenge.

Fumbling for the com unit on my belt, I jerked it up to my mouth. My thumb switched it on, and immediately the air waves were filled with frantic voices. The soldiers were talking about the path of destruction Lotor had left. I didn't really give a damn about the injured, more intent on tracking Lotor down. At last someone with some sense about them, would mention to me that Lotor was heading for the coliseum.

A small army of soldiers had been dispatched to guard the path that led to the King's private balcony in the coliseum. Lotor would have to enter through either the stands, or through the fighter's pit. I wasn't sure which he would take, if he would be fool enough to risk the Drule bystanders that would be visiting the coliseum this day.

Without another word to the nurse, I took off running. My destination was of course the coliseum. My hand had already drawn it's pistol, my eyes checking over it's charge. It was more than half full, and should prove adequate for my intent. My goal was of course to shoot Prince Lotor, and I subtlety switched the setting from stun to kill. With the prince seemingly gone mad, no one would fault a soldier for killing the crown heir. Not if that heir's ultimate goal was to kill our King.

I won't lie and say I was motivated by love of my King or planet. I just wanted Lotor dead. To send that bastard to whatever hell awaited him, a hell that would keep him far, far away from Romelle. I sincerely believed with Lotor gone, some of Romelle's situation would be bettered.

Soldiers, both off duty and on, plus castle guardsmen, were running all about the castle. I soon realized I had chosen the wrong path, finding there was no one injured or dead as I made my way to the coliseum's stands. I began walking down the steps of the seating rows. No one paid any mind to me or the blaster that was naked in my hand. I wasn't the only one moving about the civilians. Other soldiers were there, all armed and trying to get a bead on prince Lotor. But the prince was moving too fast, using his sword to deflect the lasers.

Some of the deflected blasts ricocheted into the audience. The Drules civilians began screaming, panicking as they lurched to their feet. I was nearly knocked over and trampled on as they tried to stampede towards the nearest exit. Exasperated, I shoved back, finding the soldiers and civilians were at cross purposes. I couldn't see the prince now, couldn't even get into position to shoot. But I could hear his voice, Lotor shouting at his father.

"I have had enough of you and your orders!" Lotor bellowed. "This ends now, old man!"

Zarkon was calm, his voice carrying through out the coliseum. "Stop this foolishness at once, Lotor and return to your room."

"I am not a child for you to banish to my room until you decide my punishment is at an end!" Lotor snapped. "I..."

"Funny, but a child is exactly the way you are behaving." Zarkon sounded bored now. "Slaughtering so many of our guards. Endangering our own people. Threatening your own father. This is some tantrum you are throwing."

"You've left me no choice! Keeping me locked away, only allowed out when you have some errand for me to run."

"And you think this rampage is the key to earning your freedom?" Zarkon demanded in disbelief. "You are an even bigger fool than I thought! Beasts! Take him out of my sight!"

The aliens brought to be gladiators of the coliseum entered the pit. Three in all, each a different kind of creature. Yellow, red and a gray so dark it was almost black, each one charged the prince. I had made it to the bottom of the steps, free of the crowd that was still fighting each other and the guards. Several other soldiers were also in place, but at a hand signal from Zarkon, no one tried to shoot the prince. I grit my teeth in frustration at Zarkon's unspoken command, wondering why he was content to spare his son's life after Lotor had threatened the King.

The aliens were each armed with lazon swords of their own. But two of them didn't look like they knew how to wield them, hands clumsy as they attempted to slash open the prince's flesh. Lotor's clothes were already splattered with the blood of the soldiers he had slaughtered on his way to the coliseum. He would add more blood to them, laughing as he fought with three opponents at once.

I watched as Lotor leapt straight up into the air, allowing two of the three aliens to slash their swords against empty air. The third one, the one with the dark gray skin also leapt into the air, intent on striking Lotor's mid section. The prince easily defended against that slash, lazon blade sparking as it connected with the alien's.

The two on the ground turned to track the descent of Lotor and the gladiator. But they didn't move in to close around them, watching as Lotor continued to exchange blows with the alien. Salvia would gleam on the alien's teeth, whole mouthfuls being spit out as the beast grew enraged by the fight. The alien was much taller than Lotor, towering over him by at least three feet. Most of his attacks were downward slashes, the beast trying to tear open the front of Lotor's chest.

Lotor was clearly not in the mood to play around, blocking the blows, and then following up with a diagonal slice across the alien's chest. It's breast plate split apart, and then Lotor was blocking another sword thrust. His next offensive move would tear into the alien's chest, the dark gray skinned creature fallen to the sand in defeat. It's hand went limp, Lotor reaching to arm himself with the dead alien's blade.

Now equipped with two swords, Lotor began to duel simultaneously with the yellow and red aliens. They all moved so fast, it was difficult to register the moves. The swords seemed to be everywhere at once, thrusting and defending, slicing and blocking. With one sword Lotor blocked the red alien's attack, while his other sword took off one of the yellow alien's horns. That enraged the yellow alien, the creature shoving aside the red one as it mindlessly went for Lotor's throat.

Crisscrossing his swords together, Lotor defended against the move meant to behead him. The alien seemed to have gone into a beserker's state of mind, his strength increasing to the point Lotor struggled to keep the sword from him. The prince snarled, baring his teeth, and lashed out with a foot. Right into the delicate groin area of the alien. That sudden pain made the alien wince and falter, Lotor driving back the sword. With one of his swords holding back the aliens, he used the other to disembowel the gladiator by slicing open his stomach.

The remaining alien looked unsure of what to do. I knew it was a terrible position to find one's self in. He surely realized Lotor would most likely kill him, and yet Zarkon would have the gladiator killed if he tried to back out of this fight. Thus, with a roar that didn't hold much feeling to it, the red skinned alien charged Lotor. We could hear the prince laughing, even over the roar of the panicking civilians. Lotor knew as well as anyone, that the remaining gladiator wouldn't be a challenge.

It was over almost before it began, the sad looking expression frozen on the alien's face as his head went flying through the air. Lotor had decapitated him cleanly in one stroke, the prince shaking with his laugher.

"You lowly monsters are no match for Prince Lotor!"

"You use your sword better than you use your brain." Zarkon had risen from his seat, staring down at his son with a look of complete dissatisfaction on his face. No doubt Zarkon had been looking forward to seeing Lotor beaten before being sent back to his room.

Lotor growled, his body language tense as he turned to look up at his father. It was as though he just remembered his real reason for coming here. Pointing his blood soaked sword up at his father's balcony, Lotor issued a challenge.

"I demand the rite of might from the King!"

Silence descended on the coliseum. Most of the civilians had fled, so that only we soldiers remained to hear Lotor's challenge. Many of us kept our eyes on Prince Lotor, though a few nervous glances were sent King Zarkon's way. What would Zarkon's reaction be? Would he dare refuse his son's demand? I think none of us thought Zarkon was a match for Prince Lotor, but we knew the king would be greatly dishonored if he refused the fight now.

"You would fight the King for the throne?" asked a soldier that was in the balcony with King Zarkon. The King immediately silenced the solider with a fist to the face, Zarkon smiling a fanged smirk at Lotor.

"So my very ambitious son. It's not just Arus you lust for. You also desire my crown." Zarkon paused for Lotor's agreeing nod, the King's eyes narrowing into a glare. "Very well. So be it! It's your royal right to challenge me!" Before Lotor could even think to gloat, Zarkon was threatening him. "But you will regret this folly."

All round me, the soldiers were relaxing. They holstered their weapons, and took seats in the stands. I caught whispers of conversation among them, one speaking how this should be a good duel.

"I wonder who will win?" Another asked.

"Whoever does will be King." Answered another.

"I bet sixty gold coins on the prince." Said the first.

"I'll take that bet." Grinned the third.

Similar bets were occurring among all the soldiers. There was almost an easy air about what was to occur. They weren't about to hold grudges against the prince for hurting so many of their comrades. Not when the King and Lotor so often killed over the slightest thing. We were all deadened to the killing, accepting it as our way of life. Even I had accepted it once upon a time.

It would take time for King Zarkon to arrive in the coliseum's pit. He hadn't bothered to change his clothing, still dressed in black silk, with a heavier velvet robe of red. Zarkon had exchange his scepter for a sword, his grip strong as he looked over his son. Lotor was wearing his commander's uniform, though it was a pitiful sight, all torn ragged by swords and covered in blood.

He was also wearing his helmet, the metal polished to gleam. Lotor stared back at his father, a grim, deadly air of menace about his expression. Lotor was taking this far more seriously than Zarkon was. I had no doubt if Lotor gained the advantage, he would end his father's life. But Zarkon I wasn't so sure about, the King relaxed and acting more put out than anything else.

It was interesting to see them fight like this. I knew the King had once been a great warrior, his strength and prowess with a sword earning him the respect of his armies. But that was over twenty years ago. And as far as I knew, Zarkon had not been keeping up with daily sword practice. How would he fare against the prince? I did not know, and as I watched the two circle around each other for a good ten minutes, I began to wonder if I would ever get an answer to my question.

"Come fight!" Zarkon goaded Lotor towards him, a smirk on his face. "I know you can't be coward enough to not face your old man in battle!"

"I'll show you who is the coward!" Lotor snarled, and began rushing across the pit towards Zarkon. His arm was held high, he would attempt to bring his sword down to split Zarkons' head in two. Zarkon tensed, and at the last moment brought his sword up to block Lotor's slash. He would then slash at Lotor, the prince defending, then thrusting forward only to be blocked again.

They would fight like this for what felt like hours, neither seeming to land a blow on each other. Lotor always showed his impatience, leaping often as he attempted to cleave open Zarkon's head. But they were too evenly matched, leaving me to wonder if the fight would end in a draw, or if both would collapse from exhaustion.

Suddenly a gasp from the watching soldiers. Zarkon had moved a little to slow to properly defend himself. The red velvet robe of his fell free of his body, revealing the black suit he wore beneath it. Lotor pointed his sword at Zarkon, smirking at his victory. It died down when his helmet split in half, the King apparently landing a blow at the same instant Lotor had slashed off his robe.

Lotor's blood trickled down over one eye. If not for the helmet, Lotor would have been dead. The soldiers recognized this, and began hailing Zarkon as the victor. Lotor scowled, his grip tightening on his sword's hilt. Zarkon stepped towards him, and thrust his sword into Lotor's face.

"My next blow will not have a helmet to stop it." Zarkon warned, and I could hear Lotors' growl of frustration. But ultimately he conceded defeat, dropping to his knees as he let go of his sword. Zarkon continued to point the sword at Lotor, looking down at him as though tempted to end his son's life. "To win a battle, my ambitious son, it not only takes strength it takes brains."

"I have learned my lesson father."

"Then here's another lesson." Zarkon raised his sword arm, the point gleaming as he prepared to bring it down on Lotor. "Don't expect forgiveness."

I ceased to breathe for one moment, waiting for that sword to drop. Zarkon would never get to complete that movement, Haggar running out into the pit. "A word your highness!" The witch was not fool enough to stand between Zarkon's sword and Lotor's body, though she did drop down to her knees besides Zarkon. "I believe the prince has indeed learned his lesson. Now he will be much more valuable to you. Forgive his youthful rebellion. Direct his rebellious energy into more useful channels."

Zarkon appeared to be considering the witch's words. I inwardly cursed at the witch's interference, watching as she whispered advice to Lotor. The prince's lips thinned out in disapproval, he seemed even more angry at whatever Haggar had said. We could all see he was struggling with something. His whole body moved with reluctance, Lotor prostrating himself on all fours before the King.

"I want so badly to defeat Voltron and destroy Arus, that I lose my control." Lotor spoke loud and clearly, begging for forgiveness. His head was lowered, eyes on the ground. "Forgive me father."

"Very well." Zarkon lowered his arm, the breath I had been holding hissing out of me. I couldn't believe Zarkon was being so forgiving, even if Lotor was his only heir. "But be warned! Never ever challenged me again! The next time I will not be so forgiving!"

"I understand father." Lotor told him.

Not taking his eyes off his son, Zarkon raised his sword once more. The cheers of the soldiers grew in volume, acknowledging Zarkon's win over Lotor. The King seemed to bask in the attention, a grin crossing his lips. "Come everyone...we shall return to the throne room to celebrate my victory! There will be wine and women for everyone!"

That got even more cheers from the soldiers, the gathered men liking that their King was so generous this day. Zarkon tapped Lotor on the shoulder with the flat of his blade, smirking down at him. "You come too, Lotor."

"Father?" Lotor was surprised.

"I recognize that I have some part to play in the blame of your actions this day. This house arrest I forced on you has made you restless. Come, celebrate with me. And allow me to tell you of the latest plan I have for Voltron."

"Yes, Father." Lotor rose, though he was not allowed to gather his sword. Zarkon didn't trust him enough to allow Lotor to be armed around him. Together, they and Haggar would move to leave the pit. The soldiers would still be cheering. I fought a glower, wondering if I could avoid the upcoming celebration. But as I turned to leave, a hand claped over my back.

"Come Lieutenant. Don't look so down!" It was a soldier who was three ranks beneath me, the man grinning jovially at me. "The King supplies nothing but the best for these celebrations of his. The best wine, and certainly the best women!"

Other soldiers laughed at that, several wearing leers as they thought about what they would do to the slave girls. I found myself being dragged along to the throne room, strong armed by several well meaning Drules. I was loathe to partake in the festivities, and avoided all intoxicants. I didn't want to lose my senses around Lotor, fearful of what the prince would do if I was so weakened around him.

No one else had such reservations towards the drinks offered us, the soldiers drinking deeply. Soon the throne room was filled with raucous laughter, and the upbeat sound of music playing. Slave girls were weaving about the soldiers, the women trembling as they carried pitchers of wine. Quite a few were grabbed by the soldiers, openly fondled and groped in sight of each other.

Some of the men, emboldened by the wine, began to do more than just grope their chosen slave girls. They began to strip them, some intent on coupling with those slaves right there on the throne room's floor. A sharp reprimand from the King, sent the laughing and leering soldiers fleeing from the room. Of course they took the slave girls with them, the frightened females slung over their shoulders, sobbing.

I was more than ready to leave myself, when I noticed Haggar and Lotor up on the throne dais with the King. Zarkon had his own goblet in his hand, he was nodding to the witch. She had the view screen lowered from the ceiling, the few remaining soldiers and I pausing to look up at it. What was going on, what entertainment was the witch offering the King?

The screen flickered to life, showing a vast emptiness. There wasn't any planets about for what seemed like billions of light years, only a lone ship flying about that darkness. Lotor frowned, looking bored. "What is this place Haggar?"

"This is sector D-29." She told him.

"Sector D-29? There's nothing of worth out there. Nothing at all!" Lotor complained.

"That's where you're wrong." Haggar's eyes gleamed, the witch wearing an eager smile. "There's something very valuable out there. Something that's been overlooked for years..."

"Well, witch, what is this valuable thing then?" Lotor demanded, just as the throne room doors opened. I didn't turn to look that way, too intent on the monitor and the conversation that followed.

"Why it's the perfect weapon to destroy planet Arus of course!" Haggar laughed then. Lotor laughed too, though he wasn't happy about it. He simply didn't believe her.

"And what is this perfect weapon?" Lotor asked.

"Why it's the Omega Comet, of course!" Gasps were issued through out the room. We all recognized the name. The Omega Comet was an anomaly, a freak occurrence of nature that should have never existed. No one knew for sure where the Omega Comet had come from. Some said it's origins extended before the universe was created, back when the only thing to exist was the stars.

Supposedly there had been a great explosion. One that blew apart the universe, and reformed it into the galaxies that now existed. It scattered energy and gas, planets, black holes, nebula and quasars being made. It was rumored that among these things, the oddity that was the Omega Comet was created.

The Omega Comet was a fearsome thing, whose effects were devastating. It looked like a planet, dark and black with no life on it. But it acted like a black hole, and moved about as though it was a comet. It's gravitational pull was such that it sucked everything into it, eventually destroying them. Whole planets had been ruined by it when the comet passed by them.

The very land of the planets were uprooted by the comet, earthquakes and floods, volcanoes erupting, tornadoes forming. Until the planet fell apart, the people being killed by the cataclysms the Omega Comet caused.

It had been so long since the Omega Comet had last been seen, many of us thought it was an old wives tale. Some even believed Voltron had been the one to get rid of the Omega Comet, carrying it off to a far away sector of the universe. I didn't believe Voltron capable of such a thing, for what if any could withstand the destructive power of such a comet?

We would see the comet's powers in effect, the ship on the screen drawing near to what looked like a dead planet. But it's movement was erratic, not following any known orbit. As the ship drew closer and closer, the gravitational effects of the comet were apparent. The ship began to struggle, trying to pull back. Waves of white energy shot out from the comet, surrounding both it and the ship.

The ship was a strange looking one. It's rear seemed to be made up of several large iron rings. That ring piece seemed the only part of the ship that wasn't starting to crumble apart. Even as the ship crashed into the surface of the comet, much of it shattering on impact, the rings remained intact.

"Haggar, what are you doing?" Lotor demanded. "You've destroyed one of our best star ships!"

"Take it easy sire." Haggar laughed. "It's all going according to plan! Watch closely now..."

The ring were starting to glow, a light as bright and white as the energy the comet was now giving off. Haggar continued to laugh, her excitement apparent. "We had to sacrifice the ship to get the rings in place on the surface of the comet." She explained. The light of the rings were overwhelming the comet's energy, forming criss cross patterns all over it. "Those rings will allow me to take control of the Omega Comet, the deadliest weapon in the universe. By surrounding it with my favorite substance...nuclear radiation!"

"How long have you been planning this Haggar?" Lotor demanded.

"Months now!" Haggar told him. "It's taken me even longer to find this comet. But the hard work is over with. And now we can knock it off course and send it barreling towards Arus!"

"Excellent work Haggar!" Zarkon began to laugh, surely imagining the destructive effects the comet would have on Arus "At last we will put an end to both Arus and Voltron! They will become an example that lets all of the galaxy know what happens when they try to defy the Doom Empire!"

A loud, female gasp was heard, the woman then screaming out a protest. "NO! You can't! It's too horrible!" I turned in shock, spying Romelle standing besides General Mogor. I didn't understand why she was here, and from the sound of Lotor's unhappy exclamation, neither did he.

"Romelle! What is she doing here?"

"You mustn't do this Lotor!" Romelle was crying out. Any explanation Zarkon could have offered was lost to the sound of Lotor's mocking laughter and Romelle's pleas. "You have no right to destroy Arus!"

"My power gives me the right princess!" Lotor retorted, smirking at her. She began shaking with her upset, looking so frail and fragile from her months spent in the castle dungeons. She was paler than I remembered, and her face looked thinner than it used too. I worried for her health, and worried even more for the immediate threat that was Lotor.

"I'll find a way to stop you, prince Lotor!" Romelle shouted. "Count on it!"

"My dear, you may be a princess on your planet, but here? Here you are nothing but a slave." Lotor was relishing telling her this, practically purring in satisfaction. "There's nothing you can do!" I had stood up at this time, concern for Romelle making me step towards her. "Where do you think you're going, Lieutenant?"

"The...prisoner is unwell. Anyone can see that. She needs to rest, not be exposed to further stress and agitation."

"I'll decide what she can and can't face!" Lotor retorted, but Zarkon snorted.

"You decide nothing until I give her to you!"

Romelle seemed to pale even further, swaying on her feet. I was already moving to catch her, but Mogor caught her first. "Sire please...she needs her rest!" I persisted with this plea, hoping to somehow appeal to Zarkon's limited mercy.

"I suppose you're right about that. We can't have Romelle dying before I find a use for her." I couldn't relax at Zarkon's agreement, inching towards Mogor and Romelle. "General Mogor will take you back to your cell."

"I can do it." I blurted out before I could stop myself, eagerness coloring my words. Lotor gave me a sour look, but had no chance to protest this.

"No, let the general do it." Zarkon decided. "You and Lotor both lose your heads around this wench. I need someone who can remain impervious to Romelle's charms."

"Fine." I grit out through clenched teeth. My eyes stayed on Romelle, watching her bow her head. She didn't fight as Mogor began leading her out of the room, and I found myself trying to follow just seconds later.

"Stay right here Lieutenant." Ordered Zarkon. "I don't want you or Lotor wandering the halls until Romelle is secured back in her cell."

Sighing, I slunk back to my seat. Lotor smirked at me, which only fueled my anger. It made me want to lash out, but there was no target I wanted save for Lotor's face. I reached for a glass, it's contents water. I hoped it would cool down my anger, even as Lotor continued to mock me with his smirk. He wouldn't be smiling for long, a new concern occurring to him.

"What about Allura, witch?"

"Forget about her, she brings you nothing but trouble and heartache!" Zarkon snarled.

"But I..."

"Worry not prince Lotor. I have taken into account your feelings, and have a plan to get you the princess." Haggar said, reassuringly. Zarkon made a disgusted sound, finishing off his drink.

"It's always you and that princess." He muttered.

"Allura is the woman for me. The only woman." Lotor retorted. "I won't settle for anyone else."

"So you say Lotor, so you say." Grumbled Zarkon. He then proceeded to ask Haggar for more details about the Omega Comet, the witch explaining the myths behind it's origin. I can't say I paid much attention. From the looks of things, neither did Lotor, the prince seeming absolutely bored by this conversation. We'd both be trapped in the throne room, never suspecting that a larger plot was being carried out, Romelle at the heart of it.

To Be Continued...

So...okay, the rite of might challenge happened directly after the Corral episode. Clearly I skipped a lot of episodes to get to the Omega Comet stuff. I had to do it...this rearranging of eps, cause I feel I wouldn't be able to believably keep Sabbath alive for that long. Not without having it seem like he was doing nothing for Romelle, and her situation!

Also, in the original Omega Comet ep, it was Zarkon who learned of the comet and Haggar's plans for it. Lotor seemed to have advance knowledge. For the purpose of

my plans, I made it that Lotor was the one who didn't know about this. This is the plan Haggar and Zarkon have been plotting for the last few months, the one involving Romelle. ^_-

Michelle

Lotor Sincline, thanks again. Ah I remember in the Go Lion version, I think Sincline had said something about nothing is stopping him from taking Fala and Corral (whose Go Lion name I don't recall) as both his wives. And then Haggar was all, "You're just like your father!" XD But right now, that's pretty much all I clearly remember...it's late and I'm tired, and trying to update the fic before I lay down. As always, thanks for the support and comments!


	31. Chapter 31

It is difficult to explain what exactly happened next. And all because I wasn't there to witness it as a first hand account. I had to hear the tale from several sources, each Drule adding a piece to the puzzle. It wasn't a pretty picture when complete. For you see, Romelle had been brought to the throne room with a specific purpose in mind. Zarkon and his witch Haggar had WANTED the princess to overhear their plans concerning Arus and the Omega Comet. They had wanted Romelle to know what they intended to do, had wanted her so horrified she couldn't think straight.

Her horror, combined with her physical and mental exhaustion, and the starved state of her body making her weak and easily susceptible, had her believing into their story. Such was the mental anguish they caused her, that Romelle didn't turn a suspecting eye on the situation. Her weakened state made it easy to trick her, but she was no fool. Any more than I was. We had both believed, though that belief manifested in different actions.

I had been trapped in the throne room as per the King's orders. It was just another stage of his grand scheme, Zarkon wanting neither I nor Lotor to succeed in diverting Romelle from the path he had laid out for her. General Mogor was in on the scheme, as was a dozen other guards. He would take Romelle, but not to the dungeons. Not at first anyway. Instead he would take a winding path that would put them close to the communications' room.

Along the way, some of the guards in on the scheme, were waiting. They staged an all out brawl in the corridor, General Mogor being "forced" to walk into the heart of it, in an attempt to break it up. It was there that Romelle saw her chance, the girl gearing up her courage to sneak away. The quarreling soldiers pretended not to notice, nor did Romelle seem to register how suspicious it was that the corridors leading to the communication room were empty of all people.

The communication room had also been left unguarded. But more than that, it was devoid of the technicians and personnel that was needed to run the communication grid. Romelle must have thought she was truly fortunate then. She hurriedly put in the personal com number for the castle of lions, her voice frantic as she began talking before she was even acknowledged.

Her message was short and to the point, Romelle warning Arus of the Omega Comet's approach. General Mogor gave her enough time to just barely get out the words, before he was apprehending her. He'd then return her to the dungeons, the Drule then hurrying to the throne room to report on a job well done. King Zarkon was pleased, chuckling evilly over the success of stage one of the plan.

Lotor and I were both confused. It seemed the prince had been left in the dark as much as I had been. Zarkon had thought Lotor's ignorance would add a convincing touch to the proceedings, not trusting his son to be a skilled enough actor to fool Romelle. Lotor was angered over this, annoyed he had been kept out of such an important plan. The King did not try to soothe him, remarking that Lotor would have found a way to ruin things if he had known.

Frankly I was surprised they had trusted me enough to fill me in on some of the details, even if it was after the plan had been enacted. I seethed quietly in my seat, thinking on how devastated Romelle would be if she were to find out she had played right into their hands. It might kill something inside her to know she had led the Voltron Force into a trap that was meant to claim their lives.

Yes, it was a trap. Zarkon had no intention of destroying the planet Arus. He was too greedy for it's land, it's people, and all the resources he could mine out of it. He knew that to get the planet under his control, he needed to dispose of Voltron. Once the robot defender was gone, it would be all too easy to capture the planet.

The Omega Comet was meant to be the final resting place of the mighty robot and it's pilots. Lotor and I, along with Haggar and General Mogor, would be dispatched to witness Voltron's final moments. We would take a small armada of ships, careful not to fly too close to the comet.

I don't know what I expected to happen. I didn't think I would witness the end of Voltron, and yet I was unsure. I knew of the Omega Comet's destructive capabilities, had witnessed the gravitational pull at it's worse. I didn't think it possible for anything to escape once in it's grasp, and wondered how the Voltron Force expected to defeat it.

I was given no time to prepare for the mission into outer space. Certainly there was no time to finish my letter to Romelle, and even if there was I wasn't sure I should tell her about the trap she had played a part in. There was mercy in not knowing the truth. It would save her heart some anguish if Romelle thought she had done the right thing.

Of course, she wouldn't remain ignorant for long. I'd find out much later that she had been brought onboard Lotor's ship. It seemed the prince wanted to torture her with the sight of the galaxy's champion's total defeat. It would be a night of revelations, torture a predominant theme.

There was time before the Voltron Force would arrive. I was out on the bridge, staying as far away from Lotor as I could manage. The prince had been taking pot shots at me, heaping insults and snide comments my way. I fought not to rise to the bait, settling on ignoring him as I paced back and forth by a row of computers and their technicians.

Pretending to keep an eye on the readouts on their monitors, I listened to Lotor and Haggar talk. There was an air of uncertainty to Lotor's words, a worry niggling away at him. It was the concern for the princess of Arus that troubled him so, Lotor needing reassurance that she would walk away alive and relatively unharmed from this latest scheme.

"Tell me again, old witch." Lotor was saying, his own movements an agitated pacing. "Just how will you ensure Allura does not die out there on the comet?"

Haggar sighed, more than a little put out by the repeated questioning Lotor continued to do. "I have taken everything into careful consideration. The Blue lion will be roughed up, but the precious passenger inside it will not be harmed. After all...I know how much having the princess of Arus as your bride means to you, sire."

"It means everything!" Lotor grit out passionately. "I will be very displeased if this plan fails."

"Fear not! My Iron Ripper will work to sever the right leg of Voltron. Once the leg is separated from the body of the robot, our ships will use grip beams to capture the blue lion. It should be an all too simple trick to pull Allura's lion to safety."

"Hmph." Lotor didn't look happy about that. "These grip beams...is it possible for someone else to use them to pull the rest of Voltron off the comet?"

"Oh no!" Haggar quickly protested. "The lions when combined into the robot, are simply too heavy to lift. Especially given the gravitational pull of the comet. Blue lion's weight alone will almost be too much for us to handle. There's no possible way any one else can free the rest of Voltron, even if they used a thousand grip beams!"

"I hope your calculations are correct." Lotor warned her. "If the lion is so much as a single pound over the limit our grip beams can handle, Allura will be lost to me!"

"She won't!" insisted Haggar. "By this time tomorrow, she will be in your bed, serving your every desire." She knew how to distract him, Lotor suddenly smirking as he imagined just what he would do to the princess of Arus. "I'm sure with Voltron's defeat, your father will give you a proper amount of time to be able to enjoy your blushing bride."

"Maybe we'll have the honeymoon on planet Arus." Lotor mused. "Allura would like that, wouldn't you agree, Haggar?" Even as Haggar bobbed her head in agreement, I was making a rude noise, snorting under my breath.

"Not bloody likely."

"Do you have something to say Lieutenant?" Lotor growled out sharply. Feeling his eyes boring into my back, I turned. I don't know why I tried to antagonize him, except to say I didn't want to see another princess abused. Especially one who was Romelle's cousin.

"You are a fool if you think you can make Allura happy." I told him. "Never mind, she won't love you. She'll hate you as she sees first hand what you do to her people and her planet. You think watching her world be enslaved, seeing the after effects of Doom's invasion could possibly make her happy? Or do you intend to keep her locked in a bedroom in the castle, away from all the sights and sounds of her people's subjugation?"

From the look on his face, it was clear that had been Lotor's intent. I laughed, the harsh sound of it mingling with the electronic beeps and frantic clatter of assorted keyboards. Many of the Drules onboard the bridge had gone silent, speaking only when necessary to complete some minor ship function.

"Allura will come to see how much worse it could have been for her people. I will not work them nearly as hard as I do other slaves." A smirk then. "Of course my...kindness is dependent on my bride's willingness to do certain things."

"She won't love you. She'll despise you! Just like Romelle does." I told him, watching how the anger filled his eyes.

"Romelle was a mistake. I should have never assumed she'd be half as good as Allura." I fought not to twitch with my own anger, incensed at what he was saying. He noticed, his smirk deepening ."She wasn't even that good in bed."

"Why you..." I abandoned my position by the computers, already stalking towards Lotor. "As if she would ever attempt to please you in that way! You raped her, you bastard. You hurt her deeply, in more ways than just the rape. And then you have the nerve to act surprised when she doesn't fall in love with you? Lotor, you act as if you're entitled to love."

"I am."

"You're not. No one is. You have to earn it first, not take what you want from others!" I was almost to him now, my hands clenched into fists. I was pretty sure I was going to take a swing at him, a foolish attempt to defend Romelle's honor, and stop him from further soiling her with his words.

"Romelle has truly addled your mind Lieutenant." It was Haggar who spoke, her staff being thurst before Lotor to prevent him from stepping forward. It seemed she didn't want us to fight. "I wonder if Zarkon was correct to allow you to resume your military duties?"

"I can still function." I told her, never taking my eyes off of Lotor.

"Maybe just barely." She retorted. "But if you continue to persist in talking to the prince in this manner, another demotion in ranks may be necessary."

Lotor was still glaring, his smile angry. "I think he should be demoted back to private. And then I can stick him in one of our star cutters with the hopes that one of our enemy's ships blows the Lieutenant out of the sky!"

"Not man enough to try and get rid of me yourself, Lotor?" I demanded. "You want to leave it up to someone else?"

"You're not only stupid, you're suicidal." Lotor said, already drawing his sword. "If it's death you want, I can grant you that desire."

It wasn't my death I wanted, it was Lotor's. I was already inching my hand towards my hip's gun hostler, intent on drawing my laser pistol. Lotor narrowed his eyes even further at me, lips curling back with a snarl.

"Sabbath!" Romelle's voice took away some of my anger, replacing it with shock. What was she doing here?

"Surprised Lieutenant?" Haggar had read me like a book. "The prince thought it be fitting for Romelle to bear witness to that which she set into motion."

"Set into motion?" repeated Romelle, General Mogor following close behind her. "What do you mean?"

"Why it's very simple Romelle." Lotor and I were still staring at each other, both wary of the other's intentions. "Our plan was never to destroy Arus. We just wanted to lure Voltron out to the Omega Comet."

"You've been very helpful Romelle." added Haggar with a cackle. "The Voltron Force would have never known to travel out here without your call to them. You were instrumental to our plans!"

"No..." whispered Romelle, her voice sounding so horrified I didn't want to see the look of despair on her face. "You lie..."

"Why would I lie about something like this?" demanded Haggar. "We've been planning this for months, waiting for the opportunity to use the Omega Comet to destroy Voltron." She laughed again, smirking. "You should be honored Romelle. You finally have a purpose, one to thrust the entire Denubian Galaxy into Doom's grasp!"

"NO!" Romelle screamed the word out this time. The next thing I know, she was in my arms, the princess having broken away from General Mogor to fling herself against me. My arms awkwardly went around her body, though I kept one wary eye on Lotor. The prince was scowling, not liking that Romelle had sought comfort in my arms.

"It seems the Lieutenant is not the only one whose mind is addled." Murmured Haggar. She had noticed Lotor's reaction. It was enough to make the witch and I both wonder if Lotor still retained some amount of feelings for Romelle. Minimal though they may be.

"What did you say, old witch?" Lotor demanded, turning his sword on her.

"Put away your blade, my prince. No one need die today on this bridge." Haggar was dismissive, turning away from him. She was confidant Lotor wouldn't try to stab her with his sword.

Visible seething, Lotor stared at her a long moment before abruptly putting his sword away. I couldn't relax, still eyeing him in suspicion. Romelle stayed in my embrace, my hand absentmindedly petting her hair as she cried softly. She truly seemed heartbroken, Romelle as devastated as I had feared.

"Sabbath..." She whispered in between sobs. "Is there truly no hope left? None at all?" Fortunately her voice was too low for Lotor to hear. He surely would have made some snide comment, one meant to crush her even further.

"There's always hope." I eventually told her. "Even in the darkest hour. It's when we give up completely, that hope is lost..."

"I'm so tired..." She confessed. "So tired of holding onto hope, of praying and wishing for rescue. When will it all end, Sabbath?"

I was alarmed by her words, fearing what would happen if she truly let go of all hope. "Romelle, listen..." I pealed her off of me, putting enough space between us so that I could look at her tear stained face. "You must never give up...no matter what happens..."

"How much more can I take?" She wanted to know.

"You've survived the worse..." I pointed out. "And you'll keep on surviving...for Bandor and the people of Pollux."

"Bandor..." She whispered sadly.

"What are you two whispering about?" Lotor demanded angrily. He was still standing, his command seat empty.

"Does it really matter?" I asked in retort.

"I don't like it. I don't like you two keeping secrets from me!"

"I think you just don't like the thought of them being close." Haggar laughed at that, and Lotor scowled.

"You're right I don't." He agreed. "Romelle, why do you waste your time with him? He's left you to rot in the dungeons, all but forgotten you!"

"That's not true!" Romelle bravely insisted. "Sabbath wasn't the one to toss me in the dungeons."

"Hmph. He's done nothing to improve your situation, nothing to help you."

"It's not because he didn't want to!" protested Romelle. "You and your father have simply left him in a position where he can do little for me..."

"That's right." Lotor nodded, still scowling. "He's worthless. Absolutely useless."

"You wouldn't understand a good man's worth if he hit you in the face!" Romelle snapped back. Lotor let out a low growl. "He defended me from you..."

"Not that it did either of you any good." Lotor pointed out.

"He supports me in my time of need. He took care of me when I needed it. He picked up the pieces that were left of me after your abuse."

"I think the Lieutenant won't always be around to play hero to you." Threatened Lotor, and Romelle gasped, turning fully in my arms to face the prince.

"Don't you dare hurt him!"

"You don't' give me orders! About this or anything!" Lotor said, then laughed. "If it's my desire for Sabbath to die, then there's nothing you can do to stop it! No amount of begging, pleading, or debasing yourself will save him!"

"Lotor you asshole..." I began, and Romelle quickly put two fingers to my lips in an attempt to stop my growl.

"No, Sabbath, don't. Don't antagonize him further!" I could see the fear in her eyes. Romelle was worried if Lotor and I had one more exchange of hostility, it would end in my death.

"Ah Sabbath, are you going to let that woman, a slave, boss you around?" Lotor demanded, trying to goad me into retorting. When I didn't say anything, he tsked in disgust. "And you call yourself a Drule? Hmph...you're pathetic. A disgrace to our own kind."

I tensed, and Romelle gasped, pushing at my body to keep me in place. "Sabbath no, don't listen to him!"

"There's only so much I can take..." I told her, shaking with agitated energy. Romelle shook too, trembling in fear as she clung to me.

"If I lose you, I'll die." She told me, earning Lotor's contempt and laughter.

"Losers always gravitate towards one another." His words made me growl. I was taking a step forward, even with Romelle hanging onto me.

"Princess Romelle is not a loser." I told him. "Take that back!"

"Make me." Goaded Lotor. "Are you such a coward, you'd hide behind a woman's skirts?"

It wasn't the insults to me that bothered me. It was the implications he made about Romelle. I was still yearning to avenge her honor, to kill him for his abuse of her. With Romelle present, so near to both Lotor and I, it made my anger quicken. It made me lose focus, made me so irrational I wanted to fight with him even knowing I would probably lose.

"Sabbath don't..." whimpered Romelle.

"He can't keep insulting you." I told her, looking down as she tugged on my shirt. "It's not right..."

"There's been very little that has been right these last few months." She said sadly. "Don't make things worse by letting him goad you to your death." It stung to know even Romelle didn't believe me capable of beating Lotor in a fight. Even worse, I didn't believe it, and my hands clenched into helpless fists. Lotor continued to laugh and smirk at me, mocking me with his cruel amusement.

"Brow beaten by a woman." Lotor sneered. Romelle quickly reached up to cup my face in her hands, drawing my attention away from Lotor. Her beautiful blue eyes were still wet with tears, but she managed a shaky smile for me.

"It's okay..." She soothed. "Ignore him."

"I'll try..." I said, and then a voice was speaking over Lotor's next insult.

"Your highness, we are registering a large amount of energy approaching the Omega Comet..."

"It must be Voltron!" Haggar called out in excitement.

"It's about time." Lotor grumbled.

"What are your orders Prince Lotor?" asked General Mogor.

"Have a quarter of our ships engage the robot." Lotor decided. "The rest of our armada stand down."

"Yes sire." Mogor hurried to relay the commands, and Romelle peeked up at me.

"What are they doing?" She was confused. "I thought they wanted Voltron to reach the Omega Comet?"

"We do." Lotor assured her. "But if we make it too easy for them, they will become suspicious of our true intentions. It's better to let them think we are trying to keep them away from the comet, and let them waltz right in to their destruction!"

"You fiend!" Romelle cried out, and Lotor laughed.

"Very much so. Now sit back and watch as all the pieces of our plan come together!"

Muffling a sob, Romelle was otherwise quiet. We turned to face the forward view screen, watching as the star cutters were launched from the Doom carriers. Perhaps three hundred of the tiny, one man fighter ships were released. Large, behemoth sized ships also moved forward. They were all intent on intercepting Voltron before it came near to the Omega Comet.

The lions appeared, already formed into the mighty robot. The designated ships began moving towards Voltron, lasers filling up the space between them as both sides opened fire. Voltron had better shielding than any of the ships in the Doom's armada. The blasts of lasers and photon beams were absorbed by the shielding, turning them harmless.

Star cutters continued to fly, buzzing all about Voltron. The robot would punch and kick at them, the tiny ships exploding on impact. I was disgusted at the waste of life, so many Drules sent on a suicide mission in order to keep up Lotor's deceit. I wondered if the pilots even knew they had been sent specifically to die, or if they truly believed they were fighting to keep the Voltron Force away from the comet.

Explosions lit up the blackness, a larger ship spiraling out of control. It was pulled into the orbit of the Omega comet, white electricity seeming to surround the ship. The ship couldn't even fight the gravitational pull, being yanked backwards at an astonishing speed. We watched as the ship began to crumple inwards, cracks appearing all over it's metal shell.

By the time the ship crashed into the surface of the Omega Comet, most of it had collapsed in on itself. I doubted any one had survived long enough for the ship to land on the comet. Not even ten minutes later, several damaged star cutters would also get sucked into the pull of the Omega Comet. And all the while Voltron continued to do battle with the ships, tearing apart a flag ship with it's bare hands.

Eventually, they would succeed in beating back the remaining ships. Lotor gave the order for the armada to pull back, ships moving to put more distance between Voltron and the Omega Comet. I don't know what the Voltron Force thought of our retreat, but they didn't have time to chase after us. Not when they thought they had to prevent the Omega Comet from journeying to Arus.

Silently, Romelle and I watched as Voltron approached the comet. Debris of the destroyed Doom ships floated about space, some of it being sucked into the comet. The Omega Comet continue to be streaked with white lightning, tendrils of it shooting out wards to latch onto random bits of debris. Some of that debris crashed into Voltron, the robot being battered about until it was close enough to the comet to be affected by it's gravitational pull.

Romelle gasped, still clinging to me, as we watched Voltron start to speed towards the comet. It was apparent it had lost control, the robot twisting and turning, spinning about with no purpose.

The lightning of the comet surrounded Voltron, trying to hasten it's descent. Voltron would twist again, and latch onto the largest of the debris, a piece of ship that was almost as large as the robot. It didn't seem to make a difference though, Voltron being dragged even faster towards the Omega Comet. Then, just as suddenly, the ship segment shattered into a million pieces. It left Voltron fumbling, the robot turning to face the comet.

The lion heads roared, red and green opening their mouths to shoot out flames at the comet. The flames were almost immediately put out by the winds of the comet, Voltron then trying an attack with it's feet. Yellow lion and blue lion fired off sting ray missiles, those projectiles crashing into the surface of the comet. They exploded but otherwise had no effect, Voltron continuing the attack.

"What are they trying to do?" asked Romelle.

"I believe they are trying to knock the Omega Comet off it's course." I answered.

"It'll take a far greater blast than they are capable of to do that!" laughed witch Haggar.

"Ha, if they only knew the right setting." Added Lotor with a chuckle.

"If they put their power crystals on a four sector setting..." began Haggar. "And concentrated all their attacks on those rings I placed on the planet, they would be able to foil our plans! The Omega Comet would be knocked off course, and I would no longer be able to control it." Romelle had lifted her head off my chest. I was so intent on what Haggar were saying, I didn't notice the crafty look that appeared in Romelle's eyes.

"At the rate they are going, they will soon use up all their power!" Lotor laughed triumphantly. "Victory is imminent. Allura shall soon be mine!"

"Never..." Romelle whispered fiercely, then abruptly tore herself out of my embrace. Startled, I turned and watched her run over to the command seat. There was a console panel before it, electronics built into it. Those controls allowed Lotor to fire off weapons, and make calls. Romelle used it now, to put out a frantic call across the airwaves. She didn't even try to contact Voltron on a private channel, letting all of the Doom Armada and the planets near by hear her voice.

"Voltron!" Romelle cried out. "Listen to me! Put the power crystal on a four sector setting!" I was wondering why no one moved to stop Romelle, and then I saw Lotor smirking.

"Romelle, don't do it!" I shouted, realizing it was a trap. Haggar scowled, and blasted me with a beam from her staff. The magic shocked me, brining me down to my knees with a groan. I continued to whisper, pleading with Romelle to stop. But she was determined to help the Voltron force, not realizing she had fallen into another one of Lotor's traps.

"That's the secret attack plan!"

"Huh?" The Voltron Force was making surprised exclamations. "What?"

"Once on that setting, aim for the rings on the surface of the comet!" continued Romelle. "Destroy them, and Haggar loses her ability to control the Omega Comet!"

"But the sector four settings aren't used for attack..." protest one of the pilots. "We'll be vulnerable if we do that..."

"It doesn't make sense to me either..." It was the captain of the Voltron Force. "But there must be some explanation. Princess Romelle wouldn't lie to us. We gotta try it." Romelle was sagging in relief, turning to smirk at Lotor.

"I've foiled your plans!" She announced, and lifted her head high. "Do what you will to me, but the Galaxy will be safe from Doom now."

"Fire up power crystals!"

"All four sectors are activated!" Came another pilots' voice.

"Move in towards the surface of the comet." Ordered the captain of Voltron. We watched as Voltron purposefully moved closer to the comet, and then screams filled the bridge, the pilots panicking as the robot was dragged even faster downwards.

"Something's wrong!"

"Pull it up!"

"I can't hold it!"

"We're going to crash land and there isn't anyway to stop it!" That last was from Princess Allura, her voice almost shrill in her terror. The pilots continued to scream as Voltron spiraled out of control, spinning as it crashed into the Omega Comet. It landed face first on the ground, the screams continuing.

"We've been betrayed!" Keith cried out just as Lotor switched off the transmission.

Romelle was gasping, her hands flying up to her mouth. "It can't be..." She whispered.

"But it is!" Lotor grinned. "You told them exactly what we wanted you to tell them. Thanks to you, Voltron is utterly defeated."

"You've been very useful princess." Added Haggar as Romelle collapsed to her knees. "Thank you."

"Romelle.." I was still writhing in pain from Haggar's magic, but I reached out a hand to her. She didn't seem to notice, Romelle breaking down in sobs. She didn't even try to muffle them, loudly weeping as her tears splashed onto the floor. The other Drules on the ships would join in Lotor's laughter, people breaking out into cheers at the sight of Voltron utterly trapped on the comet's surface. It was a bit too early to celebrate, and yet it truly seemed that Voltron was defeated, the Drules relishing in the crushing of the galaxy's hope.

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Feli3, thanks! :D

Wade Wells, I will ty my best towards the happy ending. Though a spoiler is gonna appear soon to throw another wrench into things. But I won't say what that spoiler is until it happens...XD But I am aiming for a happy ending. Even if it's a twisty turny ride to get there first. X_X

Lotor Sincline, thank you. Yes, fanfiction is awesome how we can manipulate things to suit our whims. Sometimes fanfiction is better than the cannon since you can see the pairings you want happen. XD Thanks as always for the encouragement.


	32. Chapter 32

The sound of Romelle's weeping was back drop to the cheers of the Drules onboard the bridge of the command ship. Many were relaxing, talking to their neighbors. Laughter and easy going conversation filled the room, the Drules thinking of the celebration that would await them once they returned to the home world. A grand party would be held, there would be feasting and more importantly drink and women for all the men who had survived this encounter with Voltron. Everyone was talking as if the robot's defeat was a done deal, Romelle's sobbing seeming to confirm it.

Lotor seemed content to ignore Romelle completely, the man seated in the command chair. He was practically purring with pleasure, watching as Voltron struggled to get up. The Omega Comet's white lightning crackled all over Voltron's body, and the gravity kept Voltron pinned down. Every once in a while Voltron would managed to lift up it's head, or bend a knee. And then it would abruptly be pulled back flat onto the comet's surface.

The sight of Voltron's struggles seemed to upset Romelle even further, the girl letting out heart wrenching sobs. And yet the Drules showed no pity, several of the soldiers jeering. They would only increase their taunts when they saw me struggling to my feet. I was shaky, tendrils of Haggar's earlier magic still on me. They would send out the faintest of shocks, but they were more irritant than dangerous.

Stumbling forward, I walked towards Romelle. My intent was to try and calm her, to offer what little solace I could during these dark times. Romelle didn't look up at me, as I moved to crouch down besides her. She was too busy alternating staring at the view screen, and covering her face with her hands.

"Romelle..." My voice was hoarse. I didn't know quite what to say to her. After all, what words could I offer her during this bleak time? I ended up sighing, my hand moving to stroke over her hair. She actually flinched at my attempt to pet her, her sob taking on a near hysterical note. I froze, dismayed I had done nothing more than add to her distress.

"Oh do stop your sniveling." Snapped Haggar, casting a grimace in Romelle's direction. "You're starting to annoy me!" But Romelle continued to cry. Haggar's eyes narrowed, a look of menace to her expression. Reading the mood, I could tell Haggar intended to do something to stop Romelle's sobbing by force and I quickly moved to try and prevent that.

Letting myself sit down on the floor, I pulled Romelle onto my lap. Stricken, she pushed at my chest at first, a hiccup of sound coming out of her. "It's okay, Romelle. It's me, Sabbath..."

"Sabbath?" She blinked, seeming to become aware of me for the first time. I nodded slowly at her, and her hands turned clutching. Fisting my shirt, she leaned into me. "Tell me it's not true! Tell me it's all some nightmare! Tell me I didn't just lead the Voltron Force into Doom's trap!"

My eyes lowered. This was a nightmare, but there was no waking from it. Not for me, and not for Romelle. My silence was enough to get her to start crying again. I attempted to brush her tears away with my fingers, but they were too fast and too many. But at least she wasn't loudly sobbing, letting her grief take on the form of silent tears.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, and she shuddered as she twisted to look at Voltron.

"Is there nothing we can do?" She wanted to know. "Nothing anyone can do?"

"Not a thing." Lotor spoke up now. "Even if we wanted to save them, there is no way. Not for a robot of Voltron's size!" He seemed satisfied when Romelle let out a sob, the girl moving to muffle it by burying her face against my chest. Haggar was rolling her eyes, not wanting to hear any more of Romelle's sobbing. "Oh my pretty little slave, look what you've done! With friends like you, Voltron doesn't need enemies!"

"Prince Lotor, that is enough." It was not kindness that moved Haggar to speak. She just wanted Romelle to be silent. "We have better, more important things to attend too. You can torment Princess Romelle later."

"Ah yes...Allura." Lotor said the princess' name with relish. "Mogor...have our ships prepare the grip beams! I want full power diverted to them!"

"Yes, prince Lotor!" acknowledged Mogor.

"Well, witch." Lotor was breathless with anticipation. "Bring out this Iron Ripper of yours."

"What are they going to do?" Romelle asked softly.

"They're going to try and separate blue lion from Voltron." I answered, voice just as soft.

"Oh we'll do more than try. We'll succeed." Cackled Haggar.

"We better." Lotor's tone was ominous then. The witch let out a nervous laugh. It didn't serve to make anyone feel confidant about the plan to capture Allura's lion.

"We can't let him have Allura." Romelle said urgently. "He'll hurt her...hurt her like he did me!"

"There's nothing you can do to stop this, Romelle!" Lotor retorted. "Allura will be mine. She'll become my bride, the future Queen of the Doom Empire. If you're lucky Romelle, I'll let you rot in the dungeons."

Neither one of us asked what would happen to Romelle if she wasn't lucky. The princess shivered in my arms, then gasped. "Look!" Voltron had managed to get up on it's knees, energy pulsating over it. We could all see the struggle the robot was having to stay upright, but so far it hadn't been pulled back down. It made Lotor snarl, the prince turning to Haggar.

"Witch! Do something!"

"Fire all a photon beam at Voltron!" Haggar ordered. "Knock that robot back off it's feet!"

"No, don't!" Romelle cried out a plea. She was ignored, a powerful beam of photon energy shooting out of the command ship. It hit Voltron square in the chest, knocking the robot off balance. Romelle flinched, and screamed. "You're all awful! Have none of you any decency? You know what will happen to the galaxy if Voltron is lost! And yet you...you..."

"Unlike Lieutenant Sabbath, the rest of us aren't bumblers whose loyalty to the Empire has weakened." Lotor told her. "You can't sucker all the men onboard this ship into ending up on your hook. Isn't that right Mogor?"

"Yes, Prince Lotor." The General answered. "The rest of us aren't so gullible as to fall for some human wench's charms."

"You Drule are a terrible, terrible people." Shuddered Romelle.

"Remember that as you cling to one of the more pathetic defects of the Drule race." Lotor smirked. "You've ruined him Romelle! I'm embarrassed to think that Sabbath was once one of my most trusted comrades." He tsked. "Is she worth it Sabbath? Is she worth the ruin of your loyalties and military career?"

"Yes." I said without a doubt.

"Is she worth the loss or your life?" Again I spoke without hesitation, acknowledging that yes she was. Romelle looked up at me, blue eyes wide with shock. Tears glistened at the corners, she seemed shaken by what I had confirmed.

"You two are so sweet, it sickens me." Grumbled Lotor.

"I think we bother you because you know, no matter what you do, you'll never have as true a connection as we do to Allura. To Allura, or to anyone else for that matter!" I retorted. He scowled, body going tense. "You know I speak true." I goaded softly.

"Haggar! Hurry up and unleash the Iron Ripper!" He shouted out instead of responding to me.

"Yes, Prince Lotor." Cackling, Haggar reached into her robes. Out came a large sized remote, the witch fiddling with the controls. Voltron was continuing to attempt to lift off the comet. Each time some progress was made, the white lightning would seize hold of the robot. Voltron ended up pinned on it's back this time, struggling desperately. The boosters built into the feet of Voltron kicked in, flames trying to propel Voltron upwards. Even that failed, the flames flickering before dying. Voltron was losing it's power at a rapid speed.

"Isn't Voltron pitiful?" Lotor asked. "And we owe it all to Princess Romelle, who betrayed her friends!"

I hugged Romelle against my chest, whispering to her. "Ignore him. He's only saying that to get a reaction out of you."

"How can I ignore him, when what Lotor says is the truth?" asked Romelle. "My ignorance led to this situation. I should have never tried to help the Voltron Force..."

"Romelle, you've sentenced the Voltron Force to a miserable end!" Lotor began laughing mockingly. Romelle shuddered at the sound of it, but didn't try to fight against my arms' embrace. I kept her head pressed against my chest, trying to shield her from the sight of Voltron's plight.

The ship that had originally brought Haggar's rings to the Omega Comet, lit up. Haggar was controlling it, giving it a boost of auxiliary power from it's reserves. The power not only activated the controls of the ship, but allowed a side door to open. And out of that open door, some strange contraption emerged. It had to be what Haggar had named the Iron Ripper.

Consisting of four connected wheels, the iron ripper had sharp, serrated edges. It very much resembled a large, mobile saw. It rolled across the surface of the Omega Comet, the white lightning and gravity having no effect on it's movements. Beneath it the ground was churned up, the saw's edges ripping open the rock. Haggar began to laugh.

"Behold my metal monstrosity! With it's sharp teeth, it will have no problem severing blue lion from Voltron's body!"

The Iron Ripper wheeled towards Voltron at a rapid pace. It would take no more than five minutes to cover the distance to Voltron, and once there it immediately set about to trying to separate blue lion from the robot. Blue sparks shot off the right leg of Voltron, the iron ripper's saws blurring with their speed. I had no way of knowing how long it would take for the lion to be sawed free, but already a grove was being worn into the metal.

"At last..." Lotor was saying. "Allura will finally be mine."

"This plan involving the Omega Comet was a stroke of genius, even for me!" boasted Haggar.

"I'll be sure to speak to my father about getting you a proper reward!"

"You know sire, your father can't live forever." Haggar approached the command seat, sidling up to Prince Lotor. "I would be grateful if you consider making me part of your council when you assume the Empire's throne."

"First bring me Allura, and then we'll talk about the future." Lotor told her.

White lightning was coursing over Voltron's body at a rapid pace, the tendrils numerous. It was as though the Omega Comet was reacting to the Iron Ripper's presence, and trying to hasten the demise of the robot. Haggar and Lotor continued to laugh, anticipating no further problems. And then it happened, lasers torpedoing down onto the surface of the Omega Comet.

The lasers, along with photon beams and energy bombs came perilously close to hitting Voltron. The Iron Ripper wasn't so lucky, taking several direct hits and blowing apart. Haggar screeched as though in physical pain from the loss of her weapon. Lotor pounded a fist on his console, and leapt out of his seat.

"Who fired those weapons?" He demanded.

"Your highness, past that moon to the East, we're registering a large presence of ships!"

"WHAT?" Lotor roared in anger. "Send out the star cutters. I want those ships found and blown to smithereens!"

"Yes, sire." A quarter of the remaining ships of the Doom Armada took off to approach the moon. The view screen split in half, one following the ships on their travels, while the other stayed focus on Voltron. Lotor wasn't content to wait, growling at Haggar.

"Do something witch! Get me blue lion!"

"I...I..." She stammered, uncertain.

"You HAVE to have a back up plan!" Lotor snapped, and the witch shook her head no.

"There was no need...the Iron Ripper should have been indestructible."

"The proof of the fallicy of that statement is right before you on that screen!" Lotor snarled, gesturing at the broken remains of the Iron Ripper.

"I...I...forgive me sire. There's nothing more I can do..." I barely saw Lotor move, and already he was on Haggar. He grabbed the witch by her throat, effortlessly lifting her up so that her feet dangled off the floor. She gasped, choking in response to the grip he had on her throat.

"Are you telling me to give up on Allura?" Lotor's voice was low, a dangerous menace about his question. "To give up on my bride?"

Haggar didn't try to answer in words, weakly lifting up her staff. It's top end glowed, and then a bolt of magic energy shot out of it and into Lotor. He went flying across the room, slamming into the wall. With a groan, he and Haggar both fell on the floor.

"You'll just have to forget about Allura." Haggar croaked out, having recovered first. She was rubbing her throat, a grimace on her face.

"I'll never forget about Allura, or forgive you for this witch!" Lotor snarled.

"There are other women in the galaxy. I'm sure you can find someone just as beautiful..."

"I don't want anyone else!" Lotor snapped. "I want Allura!"

"She's lost to you! Now pull yourself together, and act like the leader we need you to be!" snapped Haggar. Her staff glowed again, the witch firing off another magical bolt of energy at the approaching Prince of Doom. He just barely managed to dodge it, looking absolutely murderous towards Haggar.

"I won't forget this witch!"

"You must!" insisted Haggar.

"Watch your back old woman." Threatened Lotor. "I will be coming for you. I will have my revenge. On you, and on whoever else cost me Allura!" He turned abruptly away from Haggar, barking out a question to Mogor. "Do we know where those ships came from?"

"Yes, sire! It's a Galaxy Alliance Star Fleet."

"The Alliance?" gasped Haggar. "They are supposed to be engaged with Doom's ships. They shouldn't have had any fleets to spare!"

"Another one of your plans failing? Why am I not surprised." Lotor said snidely.

"It's a set back, but ultimately one we can deal with." Haggar said defensively. The star fleet crested over the moon, coming into view. Romelle gasped, and stood up, a look of absolutely shock on her face.

"Those are ships from Pollux!" She exclaimed, then gasped. "It must be my brother's fleet!"

"What? That child, Prince Bandor?" Lotor asked.

"It is Prince Bandor who is at fault for you losing Allura." Haggar insisted. "It is he you should take revenge on."

"I'll crush him! I'll blow apart his entire fleet until nothing is left!" Lotor shouted.

"No, you mustn't!" protested Romelle as I got to my feet. I touched her shoulders, trying to draw her behind my back.

"I wouldn't remind me of your presence here Romelle." Lotor warned. "Not when it was your brat of a brother, who cost me my heart's desire!"

Bandor's fleet was still doing battle with Doom's ships. But the numbers on Doom's side had lessened noticeably, the Star Fleet having gained a small advantage. Their fighter jets engaged the star cutters, attempting to distract and block the armada from the main part of Bandor's fleet.

"What are they doing now?" demanded Lotor. No one could give him an answer, Haggar and Mogor shrugging.

"Sire, they are communicating with the Voltron Force on an enclosed channel." Came a report form a technician.

"Someone hack into their signal! I want to know exactly what they are plotting!"

The bridge's technicians got on it, the computer experts hacking into the transmission frequency Bandor was using. The young prince's voice was heard, static at first making his words come out garbled. Someone immediately set to making the connection clearer, in time for us to hear the tail end of the prince's protests.

"...hit this comet with everything we got. A whole star fleet opening up with every laser in it's arsenal. Don't you see, you'd be right in the middle of it with no protection at all. You must understand. If you survive, it'd be more than a miracle!"

Romelle gasped. "No...it's too horrible to contemplate..."

"We understand." Came the voice of the Voltron's Force's captain. "And we're prepared for the sacrifice!"

"I'm with you Keith!"

"Me too! You've been a great bunch of guys to team up with. You too, princess!"

"Thank you Hunk." Princess Allura sounded on the verge of tears. "I'll miss you all..."

"I can't...can't do it." Bandor's voice quivered with emotion.

"You must Bandor." pleaded Allura. "We're counting on you."

"Why does this have to happen to good people?" wondered Bandor.

"Just remember us Badnor. Someday you will tell your grandchildren about the Voltron Force who always fought for justice." Said Allura.

There was a long pause, everyone waiting for Bandor's answers. Both sides continued to do battle just outside the orbit of the Omega Comet. And then Bandor spoke, sounding very much like he was crying. "I'll do it. But I swear, Zarkon's gonna pay!"

"I've heard enough." Lotor said, signaling for the transmission to be cut short. It would die then with Bandor commanding his fleet to open fire. Romelle's eyes were huge, staring as each of the larger ships in Bandor's fleet lit up. They were charging their lasers, every available weapon on their ships preparing to fire.

"Don't look." I urged her, but she shook her head. She needed to witness what could be Voltron's final moments for herself.

The ships couldn't manage a simultaneous firing of their weapons. Some blasted the Omega comet before the others, but all too soon we were blinded by the light of a thousand lasers firing. I had to squint my eyes to protect them from the light, but I couldn't block out the sight the lasers striking the comet repeatedly. Over and over, until the rings were destroyed, and the Omega Comet was knocked off it's course.

"It's done." Haggar said quietly when the lights at last dimmed. "They may have destroyed my rings, but they won't be able to save Voltron. Arus is ours, as is the rest of the Denubian Galaxy!"

It was a sour victory for Lotor, the prince scowling. "What good is victory without Allura to celebrate it with?"

Haggar had no answer for him, Lotor retaking his seat. His body seemed to slump, shoulders down as he sulked. Outside the command ship, the battle continued. The rest of Doom's armada had yet to engage Bandor's fleet, waiting for Lotor's orders. Before he could give it, Mogor was speaking.

"Sire! Prince Bandor's fleet is in hot pursuit of the Omega Comet. They appear to be moving to close in on it."

"Just what are they attempting?" Haggar wondered.

"Maybe they want to join Voltron on the surface of the Omega Comet..." suggested a soldier.

"More like they think they can rescue the robot." Lotor muttered. "Well, let the fools try. They'll just end up as trapped as Voltron!"

The ships were indeed moving closer to the Omega Comet. It's tendrils of white lightning shot out towards them, trying to snag the ships in it's grasp. The lightning would fall just short of the ships, Romelle breathing a sigh of relief.

"Whatever Bandor is planning, I hope it works..." She whispered to me. I nodded in agreement, not caring if anyone thought me treasonous for sharing in Romelle's hope.

Bandor's fleets would glow, though it wasn't as brilliant a light as when they fired off every one of their weapons. Cables were shot out of the bottom of the ships, yellow in color, and thicker than my arms. They were grip beams, the same kind of cable Lotor had hoped to use to capture the blue lion. Now over thirty of the beams were sent to fasten around Voltron's body.

"Fools. It won't work...it can't!" Lotor said, sounding as though he was trying to convince himself of that very thing.

"You don't sound very sure..." I paused a moment, voice turning mocking. "...prince."

Lotor shot me a dirty look, rising to stand. But then Haggar was speaking. "Do not waste your time with the Lieutenant. You must destroy that star fleet!"

"All in good time witch." Lotor answered.

"Do it now!"

'What's the rush Haggar?" I demanded. "I thought you said not even a thousand grip beams could lift up a robot as heavy as Voltron!" Now she gave me a look as angry as any Lotor had ever given me.

"Yes, Haggar. Surely thirty grip beams shouldn't budge so much as an arm on Voltron!" Lotor said.

"They won't." Insisted Haggar. "But we should rid ourselves of this new pest, and go on to Arus! Your father will want the people there subdued immediately!"

"My father's wants can wait." Lotor said.

Haggar scowled. "I am begginning to think you are hoping Prince Bandor succeeds in saving Voltron. Your highness, do not let your desire for the princess of Arus cloud your judgment. Destroy the star fleet and give the command to journey to Arus!"

While Haggar and Lotor were arguing about this, Bandor's fleet was diverting all their power to their engines and the grip beams. They were attempting to back away from the comet in the hopes their hold on Voltron would drag the robot free of it's gravity. The lightning was crackling over Voltron, the Omega Comet trying to hold on to it's prize.

"Lotor!" snapped Haggar, almost desperate. He hesitated a long moment, and then finally sighed.

"All ships focus your attacks on that fleet! Blast them to pieces!"

One by one, the Doom armada began picking off the larger ships of the star fleet. The grip beams began to fade out of existence, the numbers lessening until there was only three ships trying to save Voltron. We could see the grip beam's light flickering. They were going to tear at any moment.

"Lotor stop this!" Romelle begged.

"This is your brother's fault!" Lotor snapped. "If he hadn't interfered, Allura would already be safe in my arms!"

"Your arms are the last place Allura would ever want to be!" retorted Romelle, abandoning her attempts at pleading with him.

"You're wrong about that!" Lotor was walking towards us now. "There are dozens of fates far worse than being loved by the Prince of Doom! I'm sure she'd rather wed me than be stuck forever on that comet!"

"Clearly you've never heard of a fate worse than death." I muttered snidely.

"Oh I've heard of it." Lotor replied. "I've even engineered such torments for those who deserved it." Two of the last remaining ships were destroyed, the command ship

desperately hanging onto Voltron. And then the grip beam snapped, sending Bandor's ship flying. It spun over and over, past the scattering Doom ships. Lotor took note of this, and began giving orders. "Send some ships in pursuit of Bandor's ship. Tell them not to come back until he has been killed."

"NO! Leave my brother alone!" Romelle cried out.

"He cost me Allura!" Lotor reminded her. "He doesn't deserve to live!"

"Please..." Romelle fell to her knees at his feet. "I'm begging you..."

"Beg all you want..." Lotor said, dismissive and turning away from her. "It falls on deaf ears." Romelle reached out to grab his leg, trying to get him to turn to face her. Lotor grew enraged by this, turning to slap her across the face. Romelle shrieked in pain, falling over backwards. A new rage came over me, I was suddenly lunging towards Lotor, barreling into him before he could draw his sword.

Together we hit the side of the command chair, and then my fist was punching into Lotor's face. He let out a howl of pain, and tried to punch me back. But I was enraged, the anger fueling me with new strength. Even as Lotor tried to knee me between the legs, I was avoiding that movement. I wouldn't go far, grabbing Lotor by his hair, and slamming his face into the arm rest of the chair.

I lost focus of everything and everyone but Lotor, tossing him about and beating him. I'd hear the satisfying sound of bone crunching, Lotor making pained noises. Eventually I'd get my hands around his throat. My arms would tense, all my strength going to my hands as I attempted to squeeze out the life of Lotor. He flailed his arms about, fists hitting me in the side of my head. I still wouldn't let go, a kind of exhilaration filling me as I thought I finally had the chance to kill this bastard.

And then it happened. Pain so sudden and intense I screamed. Vaguely I could hear Romelle screaming with me, but I couldn't turn towards her. My hands relaxed their grip, and someone, maybe General Mogor, pulled me off Lotor. The prince would be wheezing, coughing for air. Someone would begin to punch me repeatedly in the stomach, voices shouting at me.

I'd slowly realize it had been a beam of magic energy from Haggar's staff that had been responsible for my sudden pain. Even as a soldier continued to beat me, Haggar was hurrying to check on Prince Lotor.

"Sire, are you all right!" Lotor could barely speak to answer, the witch solicitously helping him sit up.

"Sabbath...you bastard. You'll pay for this!" Lotor managed to growl.

"Forget about him. We need to go to Arus!"

"Don't kill him!" Lotor choked on a breath.

"What about Arus?" Haggar demanded. Lotor was still ignoring her, which made Haggar growl in annoyance. "The people of Arus have defied us again and again. Now with Voltron gone, it is time they learn the price of their rebellion! You know what you must do..."

"General Mogor. Get a ship ready." Lotor said. "You and Haggar will travel with half of our armada to Arus."

"What about the other half?" Haggar demanded. "And what will you be doing during all this?"

"I'm going home." Lotor told her. "I find my heart no longer cares what happens to Arus either way."

"You idiot." Haggar cursed. "You are acting no better than Lieutenant Sabbath, losing all sense over a woman."

"You wouldn't understand." Came Lotor's retort. "After all, you've never been in love."

"Neither have you!" hissed Haggar. "You'll let that wench ruin what should be your moment of triumph!"

But no matter what Haggar would say, or what argument she would try to make, Lotor remained set in his decision. Haggar eventually gave up talking to him, calling him a fool before leaving the bridge with General Mogor. I was struggling to remain conscious, in pain with my vision blurring. I'd vaguely hear Lotor speak to me, the prince telling me I'd soon learn pain that was worse than what I was feeling now. And then I blacked out, Romelle's voice following me into dreams.

To Be Continued...!

For those wondering, or unfamiliar with the Omega Comet, I made quite a few changes in these last two chapters. Perhaps the most noticeable one is the plan to save Allura. During these episodes, Lotor seemed to forget he wanted Allura since he showed no concern or problem in endangering her. In Go Lion, Honvera actually asked Sincline "What about Fala." And he was so over her at that point. 

The Iron Ripper was meant to destroy Voltron, not free blue lion so that the Doom armada could pull it to safety.  
Also, Lotor actually goes to Arus, and starts a massacre of the innocent people. Well...in Go Lion it was a lot more violent. They edited out all the people blowing up and on fire for Voltron! 

During Volron/Go Lion, Prince Bandor/Alor eventually comes to Arus to try and defeat Lotor. But Lotor/Sincline threatens Romelle/Amue and backs him down. Just as it looks like Arus is doomed, Voltron arrives! And kicks the robeasts ass! 

Obviously this (Voltron showing up and defeating the robeast.) will happen, but Lotor will be on Doom with Romelle and Sabbath. I wanted his motivation for trying to make Romelle accept his marriage proposal be he was distraught over the loss of Allura, and trying to replace her with the princess who shares her looks.

Michelle

Lotor Sincline, *bows* thank you, thank you. I am pleased by your praise. :) As for Sabbath winning against Lotor ya never know. ^_-


	33. Chapter 33

I would still be unconscious when the shipped touched down in the castle's docks. Someone would carry me to the infirmary, dumping me unceremoniously at a nurse's feet. They wouldn't stick around to explain what had happened. They were too eager to attend the celebrating that was already underway. Perhaps it was that same eagerness that kept anyone from remaining behind to stand guard over me.

I wasn't even handcuffed to a bed. It was as though I had escaped punishment for attacking the crown prince. But his words echoed back to me, Lotor promising me I would know a far worse pain than that of a beating. I stifled a moan as I awoke, wondering if it was truly possible to hurt more than I was now. But I didn't think anything was broken in me. At worse I would have a lot of bruising.

For one brief moment I simply lay there, staring up at the ceiling. I almost laughed then, thinking how I had just finished healing from my previous beatings only to end up in the hospital once more. Doctor Shabatoba would voice a similar thought, startling me as he entered the room.

"This is begginning to become a habit with you."

"Doctor..."

"So what happened this time?" He spoke over me, frowning. "Or do I even want to know?"

"The prince...he struck Romelle." I told him, and he sighed.

"That girl again?" When I nodded, he continued. "If this keeps up, she'll be the death of you..."

"I'm probably already a dead man walking." I sighed. "I tried to kill the prince. Did anyone tell you that?" From the gaping look of astonishment on the doctor's face, I knew they had neglected to tell him even that much.

"Why would you go so far for that girl?" Shabatoba demanded when he was able to speak.

"Shouldn't' the question be why wouldn't I?" At his blank look, I sighed again. "You've had just over two months to get to know her. You've talked with her. Surely you've seen..."

"I have seen nothing worth getting killed over!" interrupted Shabatoba. "She has nothing that a million other women don't have. She's just a slave Lieutenant...pretty though she may be, it's not worth the loss of your career and friendships."

I growled at him then, sitting up. "Why can't any of you see this is more than just a sexual attraction?"

"Then what is it about?" Shabatoba asked.

"It's about...doing the right thing. About wrong and right. What Doom is doing to Romelle, and to the billions of others we've enslaved, is WRONG." Never had I voiced

such a thought out loud. It felt strange coming from me, but I wasn't uncertain in the moment. I had been building up to this realization for months now, ever since I had met Romelle. My unease with the Doom Empire had grown, sometimes by leaps and bounds.

The Doctor looked aghast at what I had said. "Are you calling into question the very life's blood of the Empire?"

"Yes." I answered simply. I was a changed man from when I had first met Romelle. Back then I had been blinded by loyalty to Lotor and my home world, to the Empire. I might not have always liked what they asked us soldiers to do, but I hadn't really questioned those orders either. Some things I had pretended not to notice, and that included burying memories of the treatment my mother and the other brothel slaves had endured.

"Doom would be...nothing without slaves." Shabatoba insisted. "The Empire is built on the backs of them. It is through their blood and sweat that we prosper."

"Maybe so. Or maybe we could become something better if we learned to use our own hands to do the work of the slaves."

"I think you're crazy..." I bristled at his words, and snapped out a retort.

"Or maybe I'm one of the only sane ones in a world gone mad."

"You really think there are other Drules who would think like you do?" Doctor Shabatoba asked.

"I can't be the only one." I argued. "They may be keeping quiet but..."

"I'm sure you want to believe that, if only to make yourself feel better." He said to me. He came over to the bed to check my vitals. I brushed him off, and got out of the bed. "What are you doing?"

"I need to see her." I said, prowling about the room, looking for my clothes. "It might be my last chance..." My last chance before Lotor had me executed.

"I wouldn't bother." Shabatoba said.

"Yes, I realize you wouldn't." It was a bitter, angry comment. "But I'm going all the same." I had found my clothes, folded up on top of some shut off machinery. I began pulling on my pants, leaving the hospital's nightshirt on the floor.

"I want you to meet with another doctor." Shabatoba told me. I didn't look at him, zipping up my fly and reaching for my shirt. "I'm sure she'd agreed you've been under a lot of stress. That you're not thinking clearly."

"I'm not crazy."

"I'm not so sure of that!" protested the Doctor. "These actions of yours, the treasonous talk you just had with me...They all point to a disturbed mind. Lieutenant, let us help you...if we can make a case to get you committed, temporarily..." he added hastily when I turned to glare at him. "I'm sure the prince could be made to see your actions weren't the work of a sane and rational mind."

Finished with the buttons of my shirt, I moved to the door. I hadn't bothered to look for my holster, knowing there was no way they would have allowed me to keep a weapon.

The doctor followed me, a desperate kind of anger in his voice. "Lieutenant! This could be the only way to save your life!"

"What? By brainwashing me into becoming a good little solider for the Empire?" I let out a harsh sound. "I'd rather die with honor than live as a slave doing Lotor and the King's dirty work. That is what we are." I added when Shabatoba tried to protest. "We're as enslaved as anyone else, only the work differs."

"I won't let you leave here." Shabatoba said.

I looked around the near empty hall, seeing no guards around. I laughed. "How will you stop me? With that I shut the door in the doctor's face and strode away. He slammed open the door, and shouted after me but I ignored him. I was going to see Romelle, and no one, not even the devil himself, would stop me.

As I began walking the corridors that led to the castle's dungeons, it became apparent the festive mood had taken over nearly every nook and cranny. Every person I passed was drunk or well on their way to it. There was a lot of laughter and singing, wenching and drinking. Couples abounded and not all the women being used were slaves, Drule females granting soldiers their charms for a job well done.

No one took notice of me. They were too high on victory and intoxicants to pay any mind to the lone Lieutenant who was not visibly celebrating Doom's triumph over Voltron. It was all too easy to move through out the castle, and I had the thought that if someone were to attack now, we'd all be slaughtered where we stood. Of course, Doom's enemies would have to get through the planetary shield first to launch such an attack. But still, it made me uneasy to see how all the soldiers had abandoned their posts. It made me wonder what the King was thinking but not for long.

Running down the stairs that led into the dank dungeon, my nose crinkled at the disgusting smell of this place. Here too, there was drinking going on, the two men who stood guard over the dungeon's gate smiling as they feasted in plain sight of the imprisoned people. It was a new kind of cruelty, allowing those captives to see a meal the likes of which they would perhaps never get to eat again.

The guards here weren't so drunk as not to be surprised to see me. One began to lift up a cup, offering it to me. I ignored it, and stepped towards the gate that separated their desk from the rest of the dungeon. The less inebriated one realized my intent, and slurred out a protest. "Hey. You can't go in there."

"I'm going anyway." I retorted, snatching his keys off the table. He gaped at me a moment, then moved to snatch the keys back. I deftly avoided the grab, and got the proper key into the gate. It opened easily enough, and I rushed inside. The one guard followed after me, muttering protests as he pocketed his keys.

I walked hurriedly past the cells, looking for Romelle. I'd reach the end of the line, and still there was no sign of her. Agitated, I began to pace back, thinking I had missed her. It became apparent on my third walk past the cells that I had not. Thus, with a snarl, I turned on the guard, grabbing him by his shirt's collar.

"Where is she?"

He looked blank, exhaling a breath that stank of alcohol. I didn't drop him, nor did a lose my angry expression. "Where is who?"

"The princess Romelle!" He still looked blank, and I began to shake him. "The slave Prince Lotor wanted to marry!"

Understanding dawned in his eyes then. "Ah, that slave. She's not here."

"I can see that you dolt!" I snapped. "Where is she? With the prince?" Fear knotted my belly, even before the guard nodded.

"He took her out of her cell hours ago."

"Hours?" I felt staggered, my hands going limp. They relaxed so much my hold loosened on the guard, allowing him to pull free. The guard didn't seem to notice my expression, snickering as he gave me a knowing look.

"That one's a real screamer. No doubt the prince will have fun with her!"

The implications made me punch the guard. He was so drunk he was out like a light before he hit the floor. The imprisoned people were too frightened to even react to my attack, just staring at me as I ran back to the gate. The other guard had opened a new bottle of drink, too focused on it to even look at me as I ran by. I wasn't sure where Lotor would be, but my first instinct was to check his apartment. Unfortunately it was empty when I arrived, and there was no sign a struggle had taken place. The bed was still perfectly made, hinting clearly that it had not been used.

But I didn't relax, the feeling that something awful was going to happen growing stronger within me. Still running, I headed for Lotor's private harem. I burst into the room, startling the women gathered there. They weren't frightened of me though. They knew they were safe from molestation from all men but the prince.

Doing a quick scan of the women, I looked to see if Romelle had been added to their ranks. She hadn't, and with a muffled curse, I left as quickly as I had arrived. I was begginning to feel like a chicken with his head cut off, running crazily about the castle with no rhyme or reason. I had no way of knowing where Lotor could have taken Romelle, and my only other option was to go to the throne room.

I wasn't thrilled at the thought of facing King Zarkon especially after I had tried to kill his son. But short of doing a room by room search, I didn't know what else to do. So I bit back my uncertainties, and raced to the throne room. Even there the party was still going strong, the nobles in high spirits as they celebrated with their King. Some of the King's personal guard was present as always, but even they had mugs of ale in their hands.

Zarkon sat on his throne high up on his dais that allowed him to overlook his court. A naked slave girl sat on his lap, trembling as she held his goblet up to his mouth. He was allowing her to feed him the drink even as he had one hand on one of her bare breasts. He wasn't drunk though, his eyes clear of intoxicants. He was just happy, pleased that Doom was finally rid of the threat that was Voltron.

As I rushed the dais, the guards dropped their mugs, moving to stop me. I struggled with two of them, shouting out to my King. "Where is your son, King Zarkon? Where is Prince Lotor?"

Zarkon was slow to respond, looking me over as the guards held me back. "Lieutenant, you should be celebrating. It is a time of triumph for our people!"

"Where is Lotor?" I repeated, my agitation growing.

Zarkon looked around the room, as though searching for his son. "Ah yes...Lotor. He was getting on my nerves, his sour disposition ruining the party. I told him to go do something about that bad mood of his, or else I would imprison him in his rooms regardless of the recent victory he gave me."

"He's not in his rooms." I responded immediately. "Nor is he in his harem." Zarkon merely shrugged, unconcerned with his son's whereabouts. "He's taken a slave from the dungeons. Princess Romelle..."

"Ah yes, the princess." Zarkon grimaced. "Lotor was carrying on and on about losing Allura. I was quick to remind him that one princess is as good as another. Perhaps he sought solace between the legs of that slave from Pollux." That is the very thing I feared, and I jerked away from the guards. I must have worn my horror on my face, Zarkon studying me a moment. "Lieutenant, I'd forget about that woman if I was you. She's Lotor's now...I will not stand in his way any longer, now that he's won me Arus."

The nobles erupted into cheers, toasting to Lotor's victory. I couldn't join in, backing away from the guards before turning to rush out of the room. "Lieutenant, you're acting very erractic...even for you." I heard Zarkon say, but I didn't respond.

I was beyond desperate, intent on searching the entire castle for Lotor and Romelle. I'd tear it apart with my bare hands if need be, until there was nowhere he could hide the princess from me. I'd search for what felt like hours, wandering the corridors, opening every door I came across. It was when I was on the ground floor of the castle, that I finally found him. For one brief instant I looked through him, almost not recognizing him for the prince wasn't moving with his usual confidant swagger.

Instead his head was lowered, Lotor staring at the floor. His whole body seemed to sag, depression coloring his every move. He stank of alcohol, and his clothes were disheveled. There was scratches on his cheek, made by a human's nails. Those scratches damned him, I had no doubt they came from Romelle's nails. Whatever awful thing he had done to her, she had not gone down without a fight.

I screamed then, my voice an angry snarl. "LOTOR!"

Even in his current state, he reacted to my scream. Head raising to look my way, he couldn't even muster up a smirk. "Sabbath..." He started to say, and I reached him, punching him in the face. He fell back against the wall, but he wasn't shocked I had hit him. He had expected the blow, but hadn't taken any measure to avoid it.

"Where is she?" I demanded of him. I had to fight to hold back my rage, the urge to beat him into a bloody pulp surging through me. "Where is Romelle?" I didn't dare ask what he had done to her. My own mind was full of guesses, none of them pretty. But I didn't want Lotor confirming he had raped her again, as if that could somehow prevent the rape from being true.

"Answer me!" I bit out when Lotor remained silent. Blood trickled out of one nostril. I had hurt him, but he wasn't complaining.

"She's gone." He finally answered. I lifted a brow at that, not understanding and not sure I wanted to.

"What do you mean?" I demanded. "Where has she gone?"

"She's gone." Lotor repeated, then laughed hoarsely. "I killed her."

My world ceased to turn, reality freezing as his words echoed a thousand times in my mind. It didn't want to process what those words meant, I didn't want to believe he was telling me the truth. My heart wouldn't break then, this bleak misery would stay it's hand.

Lotor didn't like that I didn't react. He began to push and shout at me, his voice a mixture of drunken slur and grief. "Didn't you hear me? I killed her! She's dead! As dead to you, as Allura is to me!"

Did he expect me to feel pity for him? Pity that he had lost Allura? I didn't. I knew he hadn't loved Allura. Hadn't really even cared for her. The fact of the matter was Allura was in a better place, better off dead then wed to this cruel prince. The same could be said about Romelle, but I was a selfish Drule who couldn't bear the thought of this bright soul being gone.

He was still shoving at me, backing me up against a wall. But he wasn't trying to beat me, though his shoves were violent enough to nearly knock me over. I began to get the sense Lotor wanted me to attack him. Perhaps in some twisted need for abuse that would absolve him of his current pain.

"How...how did it happen..." I asked instead of hitting him. My voice was quiet, hoarse. I could feel wetness in my eyes, and realized I was close to crying. Grief was taking my heart. It would be pure torture to hear the details of Romelle's final moments.

"I asked her one last time to reconsider marrying me." Lotor had stopped pushing me. He wouldn't meet my eyes though, fidgeting as he talked. "I gave her a choice...she HAD a choice!" He insisted.

"Wasn't much of a choice if you knew she would never marry you." I snapped.

He nodded. "I didn't really want her anyway. I just..." he sighed then. "I just wanted the pain to stop. Wanted Allura back..."

"I don't care what you wanted!"

Another nod. "You haven't cared about my wants and needs for a long time now Sabbath."

"And whose fault is that!" I demanded. "No, don't bothering answering. How...what..." i was stumbling, afraid to ask and needing to know how she died. "How did it happen?" Was it with a strike from Lotor's sword? Or had he beaten her to death? Had he choked her with his hands as I had tried to do to him on board the command ship? "How did she die?"

"It was through a firing squad." Lotor told me. "I simply stepped back, and they opened fire."

"You coward." I sneered. "You had others do the deed for you?"

"I couldn't do it..." Lotor confessed. "She looked too much like Allura for me to ever..." He trailed off, and then his expression hardened. "I didn't kill her because she refused me. I killed her because she wasn't Allura! Because she would never, ever be Allura! She's nothing but a pale imitation, her face mocking me! Every time I would have seen her, the pain would have been renewed. it would have been as though I was losing Allura all over again, and I couldn't stand that!"

This time I did punch him, Lotor falling to the floor. "You're a coward. A pathetic weakling."

Lotor was nodding in agreement. "We've both lost Lieutenant." He said tiredly. "Now neither one us will have her." The her he spoke of referred to both Allura and Romelle, the two princess interchangeable in Lotor's mind.

I wasn't going to bother with him anymore. I was through with Lotor, through with the Empire. Maybe even through with Doom. But there was one last thing for me to do. "Where is...where is Romelle?" I couldn't bring myself to say her body. I wasn't ready to process things that far. But I needed to know, wanting to give her a proper burial, rather than leave her to the vultures.

"The pit of skulls." Lotor whispered. "She's in the pit of skulls."

Without another word, I took off. But I didn't move fast enough to avoid hearing Lotor's pained moan. He groaned out Allure's name, sounding forlorn and bereft. I felt no pity, dead to everything but my own grief over Romelle. I was already in mourning, and knew of no way to get the kind of closure I needed.

To Be Continued...

Michelle


	34. Chapter 34

There are spots all over planet Doom where the bodies of slaves are left to rot, the dead denied a proper burial. Their bodies are left exposed to the harsh elements of Doom's surface, becoming a feast for the maggots and the carrion creatures that lurk near to these open graves. The pit of skulls was one such place, although it was also the most notorious, being located close to the castle. So close that if you looked out one of the southern facing windows, you'd be able to make out a sea of white in the distance.

But it is no sea that awaits you. Just a deep, cavernous pit filled to the brim with bones. It takes time for such a large area to become covered with that many bodies, several decades worth of slaves having been dumped here. The bodies were always quickly picked clean, flesh stripped away by the vultures. I knew I had to work fast to find Romelle, if only to keep her body from being torn apart by the scavengers who made daily trips into the pit.

Bones crushed underfoot as I began my descent. Here and there, a skull would roll past, disturbed by my movements. I couldn't go as fast as I wanted. Not if I didn't want to run the risk of breaking my own neck by slipping. I might not have minded dying then and there, except for one thing. And that was the need I had to see Romelle one last time. All in order to take her body, and give her the burial she deserved.

I was near desperate to do this for her. A final act, that could never right the wrongs that had been done to the princess. I kept up a constant litany inside my head, berating myself for how I had failed her. I cursed my inaction, knowing this tragedy could have been avoided if I had just acted months ago. If I had just done something more to help her, rather than stand by frozen and silent.

I felt I was truly a coward. I knew my rebellion against Lotor had come to late to matter to Romelle's circumstances. I wished I could turn back time, that I had acted that day on Pollux when everything went wrong. I must have questioned myself a thousand times, harsh as I wondered why I hadn't acted to take her from her cell and attempt an escape.

Thoughts that had once been confidant were now uncertain. Yes, there could have been a chance we would have been caught and killed. But there was an equal chance of success in chancing an escape. Why hadn't I taken that chance? Why had I been so stupid and indecisive? It mattered not to me that back then I hadn't yet come to the realization that the Doom Empire was evil. It didn't matter that I had been loyal, that I hadn't wanted to betray my people. I had betrayed Romelle, and I had betrayed myself. And all because I hadn't been brave enough to do something more for her.

Yes, I had been beaten by Lotor and his men. Beaten a thousand times over. I'd suffer a million more beatings if it meant I could bring Romelle back and rescue her from this situation. What was that pain compared to the pain of not having Romelle in my life? Of knowing she no longer lived and breathed. I would have been fine if I had known she was still here with me...still here and safe, far away from Doom and Lotor.

I'd reached the bottom of my climb, thoughts still racing and accusing. They insisted I had killed Romelle just as surely as Lotor had. That I had condemned her to this fate. All she had suffered, all the tortures and mistreatment. It was as much my fault as it was Lotor's. Perhaps even more than the prince, because I had refused to do the very thing she had needed!

I couldn't be reassured by thoughts that Romelle was in a better place now. To me, the universe had darkened from the loss of her bright soul. I was in despair, my eyes wet and blurring but I couldn't give in to the tears. I might not never stop crying if I did. Tears wouldn't bring Romelle back. She needed me to be strong one last time. To find her and take her out of this pit.

But as I gathered my wits, and looked around, I could see nothing to upset the white sea. No color to mark where her body had fallen. There was no shimmering gold of her hair. Nor the bold blue of her dress. Nothing. It alarmed me, and I began running atop the bones. I was panicked and thinking some creature had already carried her off.

But the absence of blood and tatters of her clothing strongly hinted that wasn't the case. There would have been some sign, some disturbance in the sea of bones to let me know for sure if that had been truth. Instead I was confused, running about the pit, trying to find some sign of Romelle. It reminded me of the way I ran about the castle earlier, with no sense to guide me to her.

But I didn't stop, determined to traverse the pit from one end to the other. I continued to curse myself in my mind, the insults coming easy to me. I didn't care that I was in a dangerous place, alone and without weapons. One of the very creatures that could have feasted on Romelle's body, could have easily come for me. The fact that I wasn't dead wouldn't have stopped the more vicious of carrion monsters.

My frantic, near aimless running almost proved the death of me. I took one step too many, the bones being disrupted under foot. They started to give way, collapsing downwards. I just barely managed to leap back, my heart beating wildly in my chest. I watched as the bones continued moving, revealing a crack that was widening beneath them. I moved backwards, seeing the crack widen into the size of a small hole.

It would have been just big enough for me to get stuck in. Trapped and vulnerable to the predators that roamed this pit. I was unsettled by that close call, even as I thought that maybe a similar hole had opened up to swallow up Romelle's body. That thought had me renewing my search, as I carefully skirted the edge of the hole. Occasionally my foot would dislodge more bones, whole skeletons falling into the hole.

It would take some searching, but eventually I would come across a second hole. Much larger than the first with jagged edges, it had swallowed up a sizable chunk of the land. It looked so deep it made me wonder if it was endless. I stood as close to it's edge as I dared, peering into the darkness of it's maw. I could not see anything, would not be able to know if Romelle's body was down there without a light. But I picked up a skull, testing the depth of the pit by throwing it down inside it.

All too soon I would hear the sound of the skull smashing into the ground below. The pit was deep, but not endless. I actually thought about jumping down inside it, but knew I would have no way of climbing back up out of it. I would have to return to the castle for equipment, and I was determined to do just that. But people were approaching me, soldiers dressed in the uniforms of the castle's guards. I eyed them warily, wondering if Lotor had sent them to arrest me. I found myself tensing in preparation of a fight, but no blows were exchanged.

Instead they hailed me, eyes showing their surprise to find another person inside the pit. "Did the King send you?" One asked, and I shook my head no. I offered no explanations, studying them with interest. They had lanterns with them, and lengthy coils of rope over their shoulders. Perfect to descend into the hole.

"Why are you here?" I demanded, and was given a complaining grimace.

"We've been sent to retrieve the princess' body." One said, an exaggerated sigh escaping him. "King Zarkon wants to send a message to planet Pollux...to pay back the young prince for his interference at the battle surrounding the Omega Comet."

"A message..." I shuddered, guessing what that would involve. Romelle's body would be further desecrated, her head cut free and delivered to Bandor. All to further torment the prince, and pay him back for daring to stand up to the Doom Empire.

"Haven't they all suffered enough?" I asked out loud. It earned me blank looks, the Drules not understanding what I meant by that. I sighed and turned away. "Never mind."

The guards began to work around me, their movements sending more bones to fall over the edge of the hole. They attempted to clear a space so they could hammer in an iron post into the ground. This post, along with several others, would then be used to secure their ropes in place. I watched as they did this, and made a decision.

"I'm coming with you."

There wasn't many protests. They were too eager to get this job over with so that they could return to the celebration. Another pair of eyes might help to find the princess' body all that sooner. And thus I was given a lantern of my own, and I attached it to hang from my belt. The Drules continued to complain about this task the King had given them, right up to the point I disappeared over the edge of the hole. It was a relief to be away from them, even if the break was temporary. I couldn't stand listening to them bemoan the inconvenience Romelle had caused them in dying this night. They didn't care that she was dead, they were just upset that her death took them away from the parties.

Their complaints just made me angry, and murderous. I wasn't planning to let them take Romelle's body. There was no chance in hell that I would allow them to bring her to Zarkon to further ruin. Then and there, I had made a vow that they would not be leaving this hole alive. Not so long as they pursued Romelle's body.

It was a calmness that settled within me as I plotted the deaths of these soldiers. I'd reach the end of the rope, my feet touching down on the ground. The lantern lit up the area well, revealing the bones that littered the floor. I dropped to my knees, and began digging about, trying to find Romelle. The guards would soon land near to me, still bitching and complaining about the work they were sent to do. They weren't nearly as thorough as I was in moving about the bones, content to let someone else find her.

My nails would hit solid stone, a claw breaking off from how forceful I had thrust my fingers down. There was nothing under this section of bones, forcing me to move to another segment of land and begin my digging over with. I wouldn't stop until I found her.

As we all dug, one of the Drules began exploring the area. I couldn't' help but be distracted by what his light revealed. Tunnels built into the stone, three in all. We were all amazed. No one had realized there existed an underground passage beneath the pit of skulls.

"The King will want to know about this." Said one of the guards.

"Do you think there's anything of worth down here?" Another asked.

"I highly doubt there will be some lost treasure if that's what you're hoping for!" laughed the third.

"Even if there was, that treasure would belong to the King." Sighed the first.

"Keep digging." I grunted, moving to a different patch of land. "Save your fanciful treasure hunts for some other time." They grumbled in response, more interested in exploring the tunnels then the assignment they had been given.

The digging didn't take that long to complete with four of us working. It became apparent that she wasn't buried underneath the bones, and a ripple of unease went through us all.

"You...you don't think there are predators down here in these tunnels?" asked one, his voice lowered to a whisper. Suddenly he wasn't so interested in going treasure hunting. Not if there was danger to be found along the way. "Ones that could have carried off the princess' body?"

"Who knows..."

I stalked over to one of the tunnels, holding up the lantern so that it's light could extend into the passage. It might go on only for a short distance, or it might extend for miles. Brown moss and mushrooms grew along the walls, bits of bones having rolled into this tunnel. I continued to exam the area, taking a few steps into the passage. The soldiers would cautiously enter into the other two tunnels. They knew they had to return with Romelle's body, or what they could find of her remains.

Angered, I moved deeper into the tunnel. I'd come across a swatch of blue cloth, a remnant of her dress. It had snagged on a jagged piece of rock, tearing free of her skirt. I knelt down to pick it up, grief retaking me. Was this cloth to be the only thing left of the princess? I pocketed it, and continued down the tunnel's path. I'd walk quite some distance, and then come along another open space with several new passages to choose from.

I was wondering how I could ever hope to find her. This place might be a maze, and I myself could become hopelessly lost. But that thought didn't stop me from moving forward. I stepped into the open space and gasped. The ground was soft here, my feet sinking into it. It surprised me enough that I looked down, and that was when I spied the foot prints.

There was mine of course, my boots making large imprints into the soft dirt. But there was also another set, two in fact though I barely registered the second. I was too busy examining the smaller, daintier sized foot prints. The ones that could have come from Romelle's shoes. Warring emotions overtook me, I didn't want to hope she had survived the firing squad and the fall into this underground cavern. And yet excitement was coursing through me at the thought that a chance existed that she still lived.

I closed my eyes briefly, breathing deeply. The tears wanted to fall, I was so torn by my hopes and emotions. And then a voice spoke from behind me, making me jump in fright.

"What have you found?" I didn't speak, ignoring him. But he drew up besides me, his lantern adding it's light to mine. I heard him swear as he spied the foot prints. "Shit...you think she's still alive?" I shrugged, watching as he began to follow the trail the foot prints left behind. It was then I realized the second set walked with Romelle's, as though someone had come to help lead her away.

"Hey! We found something!" shouted the Drule, and soon the others arrived. They all stood uncertainly before the tunnel the foot prints led into. No one was volunteering to go in, especially once it became apparent that the ground hardened again just a few short feet into the tunnel. And with it's hard state, the trail was lost, leaving no certainties of tracking those that had come previously through.

"These tunnels could be endless." I said, feeding into their fears. "We might never find our way back."

"He's right." Came the agreement. "It's too risky."

"Is it any riskier than facing the King with the news we disappointed him?" wondered one of the guards.

They all shifted, uneasy. "We'll...we'll come back with more men and equipment." Decided the apparent leader. "The King can't fault us for taking extra precautions when dealing with the unknown..."

"You don't know the King very well, do you?" One asked, humorlessly.

"We won't accomplish anything just standing around!" snapped the leader. "We return to the castle."

With a few grumbled out uncertainties, they all moved to leave. I'd stay rooted to the spot, staring at the place where the footprints stopped. I pleaded silently in my mind, to any God or devil that was listening. Pleaded with them to let this be more than just a coincidence. To beg, to ask, to demand they allow Romelle to still live. My hand went to the fabric in my pocket, fingers touching it for comfort.

_~Please be alive.~_ I thought. It might have been selfish. Misery could only await Romelle if she remained on Doom. And yet I wanted her to be alive, if only to do that which I hadn't been able to before.

"Lieutenant! Are you coming?" A voice shouted from further down the tunnel behind me. It moved me into action. I hurried back to the area with the bones and the ropes. Most of the men had already begun their climb up. Only one still stood waiting for me. I nodded to him, though I hadn't really cared if they left me behind, so consumed with my own worries.

Going up was harder than going down, especially given how sore I still was from my earlier beating. But I made it to the top, scrambling amidst the bones to pull myself up out of the hole. The guards were busy gathering up their equipment, not wanting to leave the ropes behind. They didn't trust that Romelle, or the person with her, might come back and use the ropes to get out of the hole.

"Do you think the princess still lives?" It was the question on everyone's minds, our voices hushed as we walked.

"I don't see how." Another said. "She was shot at by an elite firing squad. And even if she survived the lasers, how could she have managed such a fall?"

"But there's no sign of her body...just those footprints..."

"Could it have been someone else carrying off her body?" One wondered.

"Why would they bother?" scoffed another.

"I dunno..." He was defensive. "Maybe it was cannibals. I hear the slaves are starved enough to be willing to eat anything."

"Don't say such an awful thing!" I growled out angrily. A wide eyed look was given my way, the Drule startled by my anger.

"I'm just trying to explore all the possibilities.." He muttered. It didn't make my mood any better, a new worry having been given me in regard to Romelle. Once again I began praying silently, asking for Romelle to be safe and alive. The Drules with me would continue speculating about the missing princess, and what those footprints could mean.

And then it would happen, their communicators all going off at once. The reactions were startled, the Drules practically jumping in place out of fright. Someone would retain enough sense to answer their communicator, upset voices filling the air.

"It's terrible! Someone inform the King at once!"

"Inform the King of what?" I asked, not prepared for the news that would follow.

"It's..It's Arus!"

"What about Arus?" One of the soldiers with me would ask.

"Don't tell me they're actually fighting back?" another wondered, letting out a laugh that showed he didn't think they were capable of such a thing. Not without Voltron at least.

The laugher would die down abruptly. "Arus was set to fall..." explained the voice over the air waves. "Our robeast was breaking down the castle walls...and then...Voltron appeared."

"Voltron? But that's impossible!"

"Voltron is trapped on the Omega Comet, doomed to ride it to the ends of the universe!" added another.

"We don't know how it happened, but Voltron is back!"

"No! It can't be true..."

"Voltron defeated our robeast...our ships are on the run...Arus is lost to us..." The voice continued to bemoan what had happened, right up to the point an explosion occurred. It appeared the ship had been destroyed, but the communicators didn't go silent. More and more soldiers' voices were on the airwaves, all arguing over who would be the one to inform the King of this new turn in the war to claim planet Arus for the Empire.

"Shit, it's not gonna be me."

"The hell it will be me."

"I'm not going anywhere near the King until well after things have calmed down."

The Drules I was with echoed similar thoughts. No one wanted to face Zarkons' wrath for they would surely die for delivering such a news. As everyone continued to fret over what was happening, I couldn't help it. I promptly began to laugh, almost sick with relief. Romelle was most likely alive, or so I hoped. And so was the Voltron Force, the galaxy's hope restored. For all of Doom's plots and plans, they had failed yet again. And that was something I found absolutely hilarious now.

The soldiers edged away from me, concerned by my uproarious display. I didn't care, unable to muffle my mirth as I headed back to the castle. I wouldn't be the one to break the news to Zarkon, I had too much to live for, to much yet to do for Romelle. But for the first time in a long time, my heart no longer felt that heavy. Things were about to change, starting with me.

Erg...I feel like this is the most boring of all the chapters...it was like pulling teeth to write too...X_X

To Be Continued...

Michelle


	35. Chapter 35

The details behind Voltron's miraculous return was something that I wasn't privy to, in the days that followed. In fact, no one in the Doom Empire knew how such a thing was possible. Not even witch Haggar. She couldn't even properly speculate on the hows and whys of their escape. The witch had been that certain that nothing and no one could escape the Omega Comet. It truly seemed as though a miracle had occurred, the Gods favoring the just and good over the Drules.

It frightened many a citizen of the Doom Empire, the Drules leery of that which they didn't understand. The old wives' tale resurfaced, the one that spoke of Voltron hiding the Omega Comet away all those decades ago. The Empire tried to keep quiet about the fact that all trace of the Omega Comet had vanished, but the gossip persisted. Some wondered if Voltron was saving the Omega Comet to use against the Doom Empire. As if the Voltron Force would ever be that malicious as to unleash such a devastating power on another planet. Even one that was as dirty and mired in evil as planet Doom.

The sins of planet Doom seemed to increase in number, slaves being killed in order to appease King Zarkon's anger. When he had eventually been informed of Voltron's return, the King had flown into a deep, murderous rage. Heads had rolled, Zarkon turning the celebration into a blood bath. It wasn't just the slaves that had died at that moment, the unfortunate guards who had been elected to deliver the bad news also lost their lives.

The King was especially vicious to the few slaves Doom had managed to secure from Arus. The King would have them flayed alive, their flesh stripped from their bones by the lash of a barbed whip. Those bodies would then be sent to Arus, both a warning and a promise of what Zarkon would do to the rest of the people if Voltron continued to interfere with Doom's plans.

Of course, the Voltron Force wouldn't be backed down. If anything, the sight of those unfortunate slaves, dead and unrecognizable from the damage that had been done to them, only fired up the Voltron's Force's determination to stop Doom's ambition cold. The war would continue, heating up in intensity. The Voltron Force would begin an assault on one of the planets in Doom's holdings, determined to see it and it's people free.

Ships would be dispatched to counter Voltron's attack, but the fleet was not led by Prince Lotor. It seemed he had reacted with a little too much excitement over Voltron's return. The King didn't like the happiness Lotor showed, the prince ecstatic that Allura was alive and seemingly was an attainable goal now. The prince would redouble his efforts to capture Allura, making plan after plan to somehow get close to her.

Witch Haggar was also busy working on a plan of her own. She knew her neck was on the line, King Zarkon incredibly displeased with her after the failure of the Omega Comet scheme. Haggar all but disappeared from court, locked away in her lair, doing the Gods only knew what. But sometimes, late in the night, screams could be heard. The screams of the tortured, followed by the cackle of the witch's amusement.

Princess Romelle was not forgotten during this time. And not just by me. It had since been discovered that she had survived the firing squad, and subsequent fall into the underground cavern beneath the pit of Skulls. There was a whole squad of soldiers assigned to searching the tunnels. And they would turn the place upside down, trying to discover it's secrets. But the princess would remain missing, as would her mysterious escort.

The fact that Princess Romelle still lived had a different effect on several key figures. King Zarkon was livid that Lotor had been responsible for Romelle's escape. I have no doubt that if Romelle had remained in Doom's grasp, King Zarkon would have been most vicious in making an example of her. And not just to Arus, but to her brother as well, Prince Bandor having played an instrumental part in holding off General Mogor's forces until Voltron could make it's spectacular return.

King Zarkon wanted Romelle found, if only to torture her before her brother's eyes. Lotor was a different kind of angry, finding it more annoyance that Romelle had survived. He didn't seem to be hungering particularly hard for her death, save to appease his father's anger. Between Zarkon and Lotor's followers, it was as though the entire planet was searching for the princess.

That included me, though my intentions were far different from that of any other Drule. I was desperate to right the wrongs done to Romelle. The wrongs I had done, in refusing to help her escape months ago. I knew that I was at fault for much of what had happened to her, even if I hadn't done the crimes with my own hands. My inaction led her to be raped. My inaction led her to be degraded and mentally tortured by Lotor. Even the time Lotor had struck her across the face, that too I felt was my fault. I couldn't change the past, but I was determined to secure a brighter future for Romelle.

But to do that I had to find her first! I had a feeling I wasn't going to accomplish anything remaining inside the castle. Not with Romelle somewhere beyond it. Without returning to the castle, her options were limited on where she could hide. I knew she couldn't risk going to the nearest cities, not with her face plastered on every news holo and board. I felt she had to be hiding somewhere in plain sight, and thus I maneuvered things so that I could get an assignment switch.

The Drule I switched assignments with was only too eager to land himself a cushy castle position. Especially at this time of year, when the nights are longer, and the temperatures drop to freezing. Often I could see my breath fogging before me, and I shivered constantly under my heavy coat. The ground was frozen solid, and what little plants tried to make a go at life on Doom, had quickly died out.

It was an outside position I had secured, one that took me to visit all the work sites of the slaves. Those poor, miserable humans shivered constantly in the ragged remains of their clothing. Occasionally, you'd see a slave or two that had a cloak over their clothing. They had done some favor to earn the added protection from the cold, but even the cloak didn't do much good against the fierce winds.

I'd often shiver, and think of Romelle. Wondering how she was faring in this cold climate. The dress she had been wearing wasn't cut out for this kind of temperature, the fabric thin and the sleeves short. Thinking of how she might be suffering only made me feel worse, and more determined to find her. And so I looked for her among the slaves, searching each and every face I came across.

I never found her. She remained lost to me, as though she wasn't willing to show herself even to me. But I didn't stop looking, going from one slave pit to another, exploring the various work sites located near to the castle. It wasn't even a full week since she had gone missing, and I knew on foot she wouldn't have been able to travel that far.

A break in my daily routine would occur, the concrete proof that Romelle was still out there being presented to us all. A message to Arus would be intercepted, a heavily accented man's voice speaking on Romelle's behalf. I had so many questions about this man, wondering if it was the same person whose footprints I had seen in the underground tunnel. I wondered about his connection to the princess, worried that he might lose interest in helping her evade the Drules.

I often wondered and worried what kind of man this person was, who was helping Romelle. Was he a man of honor? Or did something else motivate him? I couldn't help but be concerned, the people who ended up as slaves on Doom usually changed. And not for the better. I lived in fear that at any moment this man could lose interest in helping Romelle. That he would turn her over to the Drules for some quick reward.

I knew I had to find her before that happened. Perhaps it was arrogant of me, but I felt I was the only one that could truly help Romelle escape from planet Doom. I had seen what had happened to those slaves that tried their own escape attempts. Their ships being shot down out of the sky. It had happened months ago when Romelle had tried her first escape attempt from Doom. And more recently, a ship with new slaves from Pollux had attempted it's own flight to freedom.

I assumed that ship had been shot down. But it hadn't been destroyed. Instead the slaves had been brought back to planet Doom, all on the orders of Prince Lotor. I would learn of this in a very public way, Prince Lotor, along with King Zarkon and witch Haggar calling for the slaves to the arena. Such was the size of the coliseum, there was room to house many of the slaves inside it.

It was a strange sight to see the slaves sitting in the coliseum's stands. They were all chained together, feet and hands shackled. There was an air of unease circulating through the stands. The slaves were torn between keeping their heads down, and looking around. Many Drule soldiers, including myself moved about the stands. Weapons out in the open, ready to be used.

I'm sure the slaves didn't know what to make of this situation. Never had they been invited to witness a spectacle inside the arena. I had a bad feeling about what was to happen, looking not at the slaves, but inside the fighting pit. There was a statue situated inside the very middle of the pit. It was gigantic, towering taller than the highest row of the coliseum's seating.

I had never seen such a statue before, and the fact that it was here in the coliseum was suspicious in and of itself. It looked harmless, but looks are always deceiving here on planet Doom. The gray stone was carved into the shape of a woman, a crown upon her head. Her face was shaved smooth, no eyes, nose or mouth to give her a distinct appearance. Even without those features, she seemed menacing, like some merciless goddess of Hell.

It was an apt description, for her patrons, King Zarkon and Prince Lotor, also had no mercy. But they did have a sense of showmanship, and they delighted in upping the slaves' uneasiness with a maddening amount of waiting. The slaves' anxiety got to me, translating into an endless pacing up and down my appointed row. I knew it would do no good, whatever was to happen would not be rushed.

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, sound erupted from the pit. It was startling in comparison to the silence of the seated slaves, the iron gates lifting. Humans were ushered out into the pit, even before the gates had finished lifting. I knew not who these humans were, save for the fact they too were slaves. And they looked especially terrified, women clinging to their children while the men wore hopeless expressions.

There was nearly two hundred in all, and yet they didn't come close to filling up the pit. The iron gates would slam shut once the last of the slaves had gone through, leaving the humans trapped in the arena. They milled about uncertainly, staying well away from the statue.

Trumpets would blare, heralding the arrival of the King. He would be accompanied by Lotor and Haggar, the three standing in the King's private balcony. They weren't yet looking into the pit, too busy arguing amongst each other.

"Lotor, do you really think Princess Romelle could be hiding amongst the slaves?" Zarkon demanded. I fought not to look his way, but I wasn't really shocked they had come to the same conclusion I had had about Romelle's whereabouts.

"Yes, father, I do! It's a logical conclusion, given that no one has seen her since the night she disappeared."

"You mean the night you threw her into the pit of skulls!" Zarkon scowled. "I haven't forgotten that it was your incompetence that allowed the slave to escape in the first place! If you had only finished what you started, made sure she was dead..."

"If she was dead, you wouldn't have the chance to use her against Bandor now." Haggar reminded him.

"Her body can make just as effective a statement." Grumbled Zarkon. "It doesn't matter as long as the end results are the same, and her corpse is delivered to that child's arms!"

"We'll find Romelle soon enough." Lotor tried to sound confidant.

"You better hope we do." Zarkon threatened with a growl. "You have much to make up for Lotor. It's not just Romelle you lost me, but Arus as well!"

"It was not I who lost against Voltron!" protested Lotor. "Haggar and Mogor are the ones at fault for that!"

"But you were the one I appointed to command the Omega Comet mission!" Zarkon roared, slamming his scepter's end on the balcony's floor. "You were the one who chose to abandon your post...all because you were mooning over some woman."

"What about Haggar?" Lotor was angry then. "She promised us the plan involving the Omega Comet was infallible. That there was no way for Voltron to return...did she lie to us?"

"Yes, Haggar..." Zarkon turned on her now. "Did you lie to me witch?"

"Oh no, sire! Never that!" She quickly denied. "I have not yet discovered the details of how Voltron escaped, but trust me I will. And when I do, I will devise a sure fire plan to prevent them from repeating such a maneuver!"

"You waste our time. I want results now!" Zarkon shouted.

"And you shall have them. Starting with Romelle." Haggar attempted to soothe him, gesturing with her staff at the coliseum's pit. The slaves had gathered together, huddling close as they stared wide eyed up at the balcony.

"What is this witch?" demanded Zarkon. "Another blood bath meant to appease my anger?"

"Oh it's meant to be so much more!" Haggar laughed, but there was an air of nervousness to her cackle. "We're going to use these slaves to try and flush out Princess Romelle!"

"And just how do you expect to accomplish that?"

"With my latest creation!" Haggar pointed her staff at the statue, a hint of pride in her voice now. "I've created this little toy you see, especially for that purpose. It's called the Iron Maiden."

"The Iron Maiden, eh? Hmph. This better work." Zarkon came to stand besides the witch, gazing out into the arena's pit.

"These are slaves from Pollux." added Prince Lotor. "The very ones who attempted to escape just hours earlier. I thought they would hold a sentimental value to Princess Romelle." He gave a tightlipped smile then, but his eyes remained angry. "After all, what pure hearted princess could stand to watch her own people be slaughtered, and do nothing to save them?"

I shifted, unease racketing up several notches within me. And all because I feared this plan would work, words of Romelle's brother echoing in my mind. He had told Romelle, time and time again about how the needs of one can't outweigh the needs of many. With that in mind, I thought there was no way Romelle would stand idly by and let her people be tortured and killed. Not if she could stop it. I began to whisper a prayer, hoping that whoever that was that was watching out for Romelle, he would have enough sense to keep her from revealing herself during the slaves' torture.

My prayer was interrupted by Lotor's shout, the prince leaning over the balcony's railing. He pointed at the slaves, his very being accusing. "All right you slaves! We know that Princess Romelle is hiding among you! If you hand her over, we'll spare your lives!"

The gathered slaves began to talk under their breaths, exchanging worried looks. I saw some increase their weeping, Lotor's words upsetting them further. But none stepped forward. They weren't ready to betray their princess, a fact that had Lotor hissing in displeasure.

"Do you not understand what I am telling you?" He demanded. "You're going to die if you don't hand over Princess Romelle! Is she really worth your lives?" And still the slaves said nothing, just staring up at the prince with terrified expressions.

"Perhaps they need a taste of my new toy." Suggested Haggar. With a scowl, Lotor stepped back, allowing Haggar to take over. "Shalah!" She shouted, green energy pulsating at the tip of her staff's head. It fired a beam at the statue, and with a mighty groan, the Iron Maiden came to life.

Screams immediately filled the coliseum, both from inside the pit and the stands. The slaves were all terrified to see the statue moving, watching as the giant took slow, steady steps towards the group from Pollux. The slaves scattered, running towards the iron gates. But each one had been sealed shut, preventing their escape from the pit.

An agonized scream was heard, the female's voice distorted as the Iron Maiden crushed her beneath her heavy feet. Other slaves began screaming even louder, the Iron Maiden snatching them off the ground. Her fists closed around them, squeezing tighter and tighter until a sickening popping sound was heard. The people held in her fists exploded in a shower of blood and bones, limbs landing in the stands of the coliseum.

The slaves watching this display were also screaming, frightened and trying to escape. They were all chained together, so those who were rooted to the spot were dragged forward by the larger number who wanted to do a panicked stampede. Drule soldiers began firing off their weapons, lasers shooting into the crowd. They weren't stunning blasts, people falling down dead when hit.

My hands clenched into fists, my nails drawing blood. I wanted so badly to start shooting at the soldiers, but knew if I acted now, I would probably be killed. And I couldn't help Romelle if I was dead or imprisoned. But I didn't like having to stand there and do nothing but watch. A rage was building in me, one born of my helplessness. I had to keep telling myself to think of Romelle. To reassure myself I was doing what was best in the long run for her. I had to remain free and alive if only to attain my goals regarding Romelle.

Another three slaves were scooped up by the Iron Maiden. But these weren't squeezed apart, hanging suspended in the giant's grasp. Haggar had signaled for the Iron Maiden to cease her slaughter. Lotor stepped forward once more, looking satisfied by the carnage that had been committed. Even Zarkon wore a smile, the King liking the senseless brutality that had been committed.

"Well, now! You've seen the fate that awaits you!" Lotor was shouting. "What will you do now? Will you continue to hide her? Or will you do the smart thing, and reveal your princess to us?"

"NEVER!" shouted a balding man from Pollux. "We will never betray our princess!" The other slaves echoed his sentiment, their voices rising as one. If any disagreed with this route, their voice was silenced by the others,

"But will your princess betray you?" Lotor demanded, and his gaze turned searching. He stared into the stands of the coliseum, as though he was waiting for Romelle to stand up and reveal herself. "Romelle, there's no hope!" He smirked then, looking his most vicious. "Unless you want to watch us crush these slaves. You must come out and show yourself!"

He paused, and I held my breath, wondering what Romelle would do. I felt certain that even if she showed herself, they would still kill the slaves from Pollux. They were marked for death, all because they had tried to do what Romelle was attempting. The Drules would not want the other slaves thinking escape was possible, that escape attempts would not be punished.

"The choice is yours Romelle!" Lotor resumed shouting out his ultimatum. "I won't wait but a few seconds more..."

The slaves from Pollux were the ones who answered in Romelle's place, their voices carrying clear across the coliseum. "Romelle, don't do it! They won't spare us!"

"Even if you do turn yourself in, they'll..." The woman's voice was cut off, a soldier shooting her down on Lotor's signal.

Zarkon took note, and approved. "I've taught you well my son."

"Of course father. No mercy." Smirked Lotor. "Haggar, get to it!"

With a cackle, the witch activated the Iron Maiden once more. Her first act was to crush the slaves in her hands, showering blood and bones down on the humans below. The screams renewed, the people running about the pit in circles. The Iron Maiden's steps were such that it took her only five to cover the length of the pit. And each time her feet lifted up, there was squashed bodies revealed.

"Pollux forever!" A man was screaming. "Long live Princess Romelle!" His cries were cut off, but new ones rose up in his place.

"Never give in to them!"

"Fight them to the last!"

It didn't take long for the Iron Maiden to finish her gruesome work. Every last slave from Pollux was killed, their bodies just red smears on the arena's floor. Lotor wasn't pleased though, an angry sneer on his face. Zarkon mirrored his expression, his voice almost mocking. "Well, Lotor. Where is she? Where is Romelle?"

Lotor seemed to ignore his father, leaping up on the balcony's railing to shout at the slaves in the stands. "You've seen what has happened to those who defy us! And

it will continue to happen, two hundred slaves dying daily until you give us Princess Romelle!"

The slaves all moaned and cried out in fear, clinging to each other. Lotor's laugh filled the coliseum, the prince confidant he had gotten through to them. He leapt off the balcony's rail, and turned to his father. "The others won't be as stupid." He was confidant. "They owe no loyalties to a princess of a planet that's about to fall."

"You better be right about that Lotor." Zarkon grumbled, already turning away from the railing. He had the air of one that was bored with what had happened, the King more interested in what other uses Haggar's newest creation could have for him. "So tell me witch...can this Iron Maiden monstrosity of yours do more than crush helpless slaves beneath it's feet?"

"Oh yes." Haggar was quick to say. "The Iron Maiden is the culmination of months of research. I dare say even Voltron wouldn't stand a chance against her!"

"Not even Voltron you say?" Their voices were fading out of range of my hearing, the pair disappearing through a door. I'd not hear what Haggar said in reply, but I did hear her laughter.

Lotor remained on the balcony, glaring into the stands. He never even noticed I was there, too busy looking over the frightened slaves as they were led out of the coliseum. I would follow after them, lost in my own thoughts. I knew Romelle had been lucky today that the slaves from Pollux had been so loyal to her. The slaves tomorrow would probably not hold any such loyalties, and would probably be quick to betray her to save their own hides.

Now more than ever I had to find her and fast. Tomorrow would be too late, I was sure of it. I couldn't have known then, how right I was. Tomorrow would be too late, but not in the way I had anticipated. Romelle would make her escape from Doom, and I? I would not be with her.

To Be Continued...

Another hard chapter to write, at least with getting it started. It got easier once the Iron Maiden statue came into play. X_X

Michelle

Lotor Sincline, thank you! I'm glad you had a chance to play catch up! And glad you liked how I handle the Omega comet and the changes I made! :) *bows* Ah Sabbath going back to the castle was cause he had those other soldiers with him. He couldn't follow the footprints without suspicion or even worse, those men insisting on going with him. He wasn't about to help them track down Romelle. But also, the way I wrote the first half of this story, was in keeping with my vision...I had two very strong images in my head...the first I think I've already mentioned...Sabbath blacking out as Lotor raped Romelle. The second will soon happen, and then I can reveal it, although I had to change it some. See the second thing was originally going to be my ending scene. Luckily I realized early on it would be an unsatisfactory ending for me, plus it would leave the story half finished. But it still exists that scene, even though it was modified some. There was a sentence (That actually Lotor gets to say, and then Sabbath thinks a variation of it later.) that was supposed to be the last line of the fic before I changed my plot to develop it into a longer story. Man...this change, while good for me, makes the story potential double in size! 0_0 I also have to sit down and watch Voltron epiosdes, cause I need to take notes for research...I've been putting off the research for a while now...-_- It's more stuff that would be happening in the background to Sabbath and Romelle's adventures. Things that would merit a minor but needed mention. I should probably play my Voltron DVDS while coloring pics! XD


	36. Chapter 36

It would be well past midnight before I eventually retired for the night. I had spent hours searching after the Iron Maiden's gruesome display, my desperation mounting with the passing of each minute. I'd find no sign of Romelle, she wasn't showing herself, and the slaves weren't ready to reveal her location. Especially to a Drule. They stared at me with distrust and terror, many refusing to say so much as a word to me. It was frustrating, and ultimately my efforts were in vain.

And yet I still kept trying. I'd travel to three more work sites, scouring the faces for Romelle's. At one point I thought I saw her, a cloaked female who had wisps of blonde hair peeking out from beneath her hood. I reacted in an instant, diving into the lower level. The slaves scattered at my arrival, including the woman. But I had locked on to her, chasing her down until I was able to haul her away.

The other Drules assumed the female had caught my fancy, laughing as I dragged the woman off to a private tent. Inside would wait nothing but disappointments, the hood pulled back to reveal some brown eyed woman with hair that was far too pale to be the gold of Romelle's. It seemed my eyes were playing tricks on me, or perhaps I just wanted to find Romelle so bad that I was seeing her face where she wasn't.

I'd release the woman, sending her teary eyed back to the work site. Her relief was palpable, as was her confusion. She didn't understand why she had escaped molestation. But I was too distraught to even try to explain.

Even once it grew too dark for any more work to be done, I continued to search among the slaves. I disrupted what little sleep they were allowed, wandering among the groups hoping to find Romelle. It was when my own tiredness brought me to the point of near collapse, that I eventually called a temporary halt to my own search. I'd return to the castle, intending to catch just enough sleep before starting out early at the next work site.

Even in my dreams, I searched for Romelle. She always remained elusive, an unobtainable goal. She was always just out of my reach, never within my direct line of sight. I'd catch glimpses of her out the corner of my eye, smell the perfume she had once worn, or hear her voice. I could never make out what she was saying, voice whispering urgently to me.

I got no rest dreaming like that. I tossed and turned in bed, muttering things under my breath, grasping at things. I'd wake up to the sound of alarms blaring, a pillow clutched in my arms. I was in the soldier barracks inside the castle, resting on one of a dozen uncomfortable beds that filled the room. Lights were flashing on and off, red illuminating other soldiers who were awakening. Some were instantly alert, but other, less seasoned soldiers were disoriented. Either way, they were all annoyed, angry that their rest had been disturbed.

We had all gone to sleep fully dressed. For most of the soldiers, that meant they wore their military uniforms. They kept their weapons holster in easy reach, hooked over the footboard of their beds. Even as I sat there disoriented, the soldiers were reaching for their weapons, locking the holsters in place around their waist. They grumbled as they did this, more annoyed than curious as to what was the reason behind the alarms.

"Lieutenant, get a move on!" Snapped a voice. My body reacted to the command. I was already moving to get out of the bed, even as I continued to be disoriented from my dreams of pursuing Romelle.

It wouldn't be until I had my belt in place, that I would think to ask. "What's going on?"

"It appears some slaves have broken into the castle." Came the answer. The Drule nearest to me was checking over the charge in his laser rifle. I did the same, noting my hand blaster was charged to full.

"Slaves..." I was still reacting too slowly, not processing things completely. But when it did, I drew up short. "How many?" I asked, trying to sound calm.

"Don't know yet..." He admitted. "But it doesn't appear to be too big a group."

"How did they get into the castle in the first place?" Another soldier wanted to know.

"The hell if I know!" snapped the other. "But I know one thing. None of them are leaving here except in body bags!"

Laughter erupted at that comment, the Drules eager to shoot down the slaves that had disrupted their sleep. My own heart was beating faster, I didn't want to think Romelle was with the slaves who had so foolishly dared to enter this cursed castle. But I didn't know what else to believe, following the soldiers out of the barracks.

"What is their goal?" I asked, and was given a rude snort.

"The ships in the castle docks of course!" It was an obvious goal, one I should have known instantly. There was nothing else worth risking one's life for, the slaves always so desperate to escape from Doom. They might even be more desperate than ever after that display with the Iron Maiden, and Lotor's promise to kill hundreds if Romelle was not handed over.

"Of course..." I echoed out loud. I was wondering how to find out what I really wanted to know. How to ask if Romelle had been sighted without drawing suspicions to myself. I kept my ears pricked for any information that was communicated over the airwaves of our communicators, nearly sick when they confirmed a woman had been sighted among the slaves. I felt it had to be Romelle, and I knew she was in danger. There was no way she'd be allowed to leave this castle, at least not alive. And if she somehow stole a ship, they would shoot it down as they had done all the others.

With that fear gripping my heart, I broke into a run, hearing the men behind me make startled exclamations. I was being careless, rushing forward, near heedless of the potential danger to myself. The soldiers would follow me, but at a slower pace. They were exerting caution, while I just wanted to reach Romelle and whisk her away before anyone realized who she really was.

The alarms continued to blare, casting it's red flash on everything and everyone. I saw only other soldiers out in the corridors. The guests and servants of the castle were wisely staying hidden in their rooms. They'd be protected by the soldiers milling out in the hall, or at least that was the hope of many a person.

The soldier barracks were located well within a twenty minute run to the castle docks. I would run nearly every step of the way, turning corridors and lunging down steps. I'd come across corpses, humans slaves laying dead on the floor leading into the docks. The only weapons they had had was thick clubs meant to bash in their enemies' brains. But those clubs couldn't stand up to a killing shot from a laser, nor did they have the long distance range of a pistol. It had left them all too vulnerable, the slaves easy pickings for the soldiers.

I rushed past the bodies, heading towards the group of soldiers that had been present long before I had arrived. They were standing by the entrance to the docks, angry and shouting things at each other. One banged his fists on the sealed shut doors, while another had a lazon fueled blow torch. He was patiently working on the door's locking mechanisms, trying to get to the wires inside it.

I took quick stock of the situation. It was obvious the Drules had been locked out of the docks. Three more bodies lay just past the sealed doors, their chests smoking ruins from prolonged contact to lasers. I had never seen quite so large and gaping a wound, wondering how it had happened. One of the soldiers would notice my gaze, and answer.

"I never saw anything like it." He said, and spat on the ground. "We shot at these slaves, and still they kept coming. Even as the lasers widened the holes in their flesh, they somehow found the will to keep moving."

"This is not all of the slaves is it?" I had seen no woman laying among the dead humans, Romelle was still alive somehow.

"Heck no!" Another pause to spit, his lips curling. "Two of the damn humans got away during the commotion. They're inside the docks now, for all the good it will do them."

"You don't think they'll be able to get away?" I asked, and a different Drule answered.

"Even if they hot wire a ship, they won't get far." He was confidant. "We'll bring them back, just like we do with every slave that tries to escape!" And yet they were visibly frustrated by the fact they couldn't get the doors open.

"I'll never understand these humans..." Muttered the first one to speak to me. "Why would they give their lives so that the other two could get away?"

He was right, it was something a Drule soldier wouldn't understand. Not when compassion and sacrifice had been beat out of us. The thought of sacrificing one's self for the greater good was practically an alien concept. We Drules had become too self serving and greedy for our own self preservation.

"Did you see the woman?" I went still at that question, the Drules all turning speculative.

"Yeah I saw her." One said at last. "Blonde hair...didn't see the color of her eyes though...but she looked familiar..."

"Oh?" I tried for a natural curiosity, fighting back worry and excitement. "How so?"

"She sorta looked like that missing slave. The one everyone is looking for...what was her name..."

The roar of a ship's engines drowned out any answer he might have been given. The soldiers turned even more agitated, one kicking at the back of the Drule with the blow torch. "Hurry it up, before they get too far away!"

"This is delicate work." Came the muttered answer. "Just give me another minute..."

They weren't happy with the answer. I however, was praying that it would take more than a minute to get the covering off the locking mechanism. Anything to buy Romelle more time to get a head start on her escape.

A commotion from the other end of the hall didn't disrupt my prayers. The other soldiers from the barracks had finally arrived. There was not much for them, or us to do, so long as the doors remained sealed shut. Some of the soldiers paced, checking and rechecking their weapon's charge. I leaned against the wall, my stance casual as I kept an eye on the door.

"What are you all doing!" A new player had entered the hall. The soldiers immediately spun around, doing hasty bows at the sight of Prince Lotor. He ignored their greetings, a scowl on his face as he looked us over. "Why are you just standing here?"

"Sire...the doors...they were sealed shut, the locking mechanism sabotaged!"

Lotor barely paid them any mind, having noticed me against the wall. "Lieutenant..." His scowl deepened, the prince angered to see me there.

"If we can get the covering off...we'll be able to hot wire the locking mechanism, and override the previous command!"

Lotor gave a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Get on it at once." He said, even as he stepped towards me. "Why am I not surprised to find you here!" He was speaking before I could muster up an answer. "Where she goes, you follow...trouble attracts trouble."

"We don't know if Princess Romelle is among the slaves that have escaped..." I earned a humorless snort from Lotor.

"Who else could it be?" Lotor demanded. "Who else would be so foolish, so desperate to try and get away?" He gestured at the bodies strewn all over the hall's floor. "I will catch up to Romelle, and when I do, she will be as dead as the rest of these worthless slaves!"

"Your father wants Romelle alive, at least for the time being." I reminded him.

"Heh...you're wrong." Lotor smirked then. "The days of my father extending his protection to Romelle is at an end. He doesn't care what I do to her, so long as we can use her death as an example to our enemies." I fought to remain calm, but Lotor's noticed my upset. His look turned calculating, he was ready to torture me with his words. "It won't be a quick death I give her either. She's caused too much trouble for that kind of mercy."

There was a clamor of excitement to the right of us, the covering coming off the locking mechanism. A Drule took the place of the soldier with the blow torch, fiddling with the wires. But neither Lotor nor I was really paying attention to that, too focused on one another.

"How should I do it..." continued Lotor, speculatively. "Should I call into play Haggar's new toy? Have it squish Romelle under it's feet?" He tapped his finger against his lips, pretending to think. "A sword thrust through her chest would end it too quick. I want her to suffer..."

"She's suffered enough at your hands!" I snapped. "Just being near you was more than enough torture..."

"You wound me Lieutenant. I was nothing but generous with the princess." His eyes narrowed. "She was the one who spurned me, remember? If she had only..."

"Only what?" I interrupted. "Loved you? She despises you. She saw through your act early on, saw the truth about you. You're not worthy of her love...of anyone's love!"

"And you think you are?" Lotor growled at me. He took a menacing step forward. "You think you can win her heart...that you can somehow be loved by her after all that's happened?"

"It's not about winning Romelle's heart..."

"OH? And what is it about?" Lotor demanded. I shrugged, feeling it was pointless to try and explain something he wouldn't understand. After all, the prince had no concept of doing the right thing, of good being rewarding. "Your silence speaks tons, Lieutenant." Lotor flashed me an angry smile. "But whatever you try to do, it's too little too late...her heart's lost to you..."

The doors began to hum, shaking as they attempted to pull apart. "She's left you, Lieutenant" continued Lotor, not taking his eyes off mine. "She left you without a second thought, without a regret."

"You don't know that." I protested.

"Oh, don't I?" Lotor asked. "Then where is she? Why are you not with her? Why did she not wait for you?"" He paused, waiting for me to give him an answer I did not have. "Heh...Romelle is all too eager to leave Doom...leave it and the people behind. And that includes you Lieutenant."

I honestly tried not to let the words he spoke bother me. I kept repeating to myself that she couldn't wait, she couldn't lose out on what might be her only chance to escape from Doom. But it hurt to be left behind. My heart felt an unfamiliar pang in it, the anguish of being abandoned, perhaps forgotten by her.

"Hmph." Lotor turned at the precise moment the doors pulled apart. "Get my command ship ready." He ordered. "And someone find Haggar. Have her load the Iron Maiden onboard the ship."

"Yes, sire."

"Wha...you're going to use the Iron Maiden against Romelle's ship?" I was aghast, and I stepped forward, grabbing at Lotor's arm. "You can't!"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do!" He violently jerked away from me. "Why do you even care what happens to her next? She's abandoned you."

"Romelle saw an opportunity and acted on it." I replied. "She..."

"She what?" mocked Lotor. "She won't come back for you. She has a new lackey to depend on." He bared his teeth in a snarl. "She's good at that. Stringing along men to get what she needs. She worked her charms on you, and on these pathetic humans who helped her escape. Heh...she must have given them some strong incentive to risk their lives so...the whore..."

I punched him then. "Romelle is not a whore!" I hissed. "And escaping Doom would be strong enough incentive for any slave with half a brain!"

Lotor brought a hand to his sore jaw, rubbing it as he scowled. He didn't have to speak for two soldiers to grab me by the arms in an attempt to restrain me. "Congratulations Lieutenant. You've just earned yourself a stay in the dungeons."

"What? You're not taking me with you?" I was aghast.

"Why would I do that?" He demanded, a strange look in his eyes. "NO Lieutenant, you're going to the dungeons. And you better pray I don't leave you there to rot!"

I didn't care about that, begginning to struggle against the soldiers holding me prisoner. "No, I have to go with you. I..."

"Do you really think you can make any difference?" Lotor hissed in my face. "There's nothing you can do to save her! You don't get to be the hero this time!" His words stunned me, a ring of truth to them. I wasn't going to get to save Romelle. I was failing her, just like I had failed her in the past. Only this time my failure would most likely result in her death. I let out one wordless scream, a howl of despair as I was dragged away. Faintly, I could hear Lotor's mocking laughter, the prince amused by my upset.

I'm unsure of the ending line...like...it feels like I should have thought of another sentence to add...but nothing else was working. X_X And it's a short chapter too...=/

To be Continued...

Michelle

Feli3, thanks! Glad to hear that! :D

Wade Wells, thank you so much! I'm glad Sabbath has recieved such a favorable response! :) Thanks again!


	37. Chapter 37

Romelle's escape from Doom wasn't without it's troubles. Nearly every slave that had accompanied her had been killed, their bodies littering the halls leading to the castle docks. It left her badly outnumbered, all alone save for one other. That other was a man, a captured soldier who had once been part of the Galaxy Alliance's Garrison. He wasn't typical of the types of slaves Doom normally kept, the Drules quick to kill any that seemed too strong or too prone to causing trouble.

The fact that this man hadn't been killed long before he met Romelle, was a miracle in and of itself. He seemed to have the luck of the angels on his side, every last bit needed for the escape the pair was attempting.

It's difficult to fly a ship with only a two man crew. So many of the ship's functions would be neglected. That included the stolen ship's offensive capabilities, Romelle

and her companion unable to fire back as they tried to navigate the ship to some safe harbor. Doom would not hold back it's attacks, openly firing on the ship again and again. The stolen ship was a better model than the one Romelle had previously tried to escape in. It's shielding would hold up, long enough for the Voltron Force to arrive.

One of the first things Romelle's companion had done, once their stolen ship had launched, was to contact the Voltron Force. The space explorers gave an immediate response, speeding towards planet Doom. They would meet Romelle and her pursuers halfway between Arus and Doom, the fully formed robot moving to engage Lotor's ships.

The Iron Maiden would be launched, the robeast set to take down Voltron. It was one of the more effective of Haggar's robeasts, it's stone outer covering being broken apart to reveal the gold gleam beneath. And with it's true face revealed, the Iron Maiden would capture Voltron within energy coils. The coils would sap Voltron of it's power, the robot starting to descend down towards a nearby planet.

Doom's ships would concentrate their attacks on the newly arrived fleet of Prince Bandor. There would be no way for Bandor to help Voltron escape the Iron Maiden's attacks, not so long as they were engaged with Lotor's fleet.

It would be Romelle's ship that made the difference in the fight. Small and all but ignored by Lotor, Romelle and her companion would risk their lives to save Voltron. They'd fly that ship of theirs into the Iron Maiden, crashing into it's back. It was a distraction that allowed Voltron to get free of the energy coils. Somehow, Romelle's ship came away from the crash with nothing more than a few dents.

Still it had been risky. The ship could have exploded on impact, killing Romelle and the soldier. But they had both been willing to take the risk, both preferring death to living in a galaxy that would be ruled by the Drules.

With the Iron Maiden destroyed, Lotor would beat a hasty retreat. He wouldn't even have Romelle to show for his efforts, his father greatly displeased. With him and with Haggar, the King's angry bellows echoing through the castle halls.

I would know none of this, imprisoned deep in the castle's bowels. The dungeons were a million times worse now that I was on the opposite side of the bars. The filth was intensified, the feelings of misery overwhelming as was the despair. I was torn between wanting to be left alone, and needing to know what was happening with Romelle. The guards would not answer my questions, intent on furthering my agony. Not even when I grew my most desperate, willing to barter away my soul would I get the answers I needed.

I wasn't alone in my cell. There was humans present, men who looked at me with open hostility. They thought me their chance to pay back Doom for the years of misery they had endured. They were many and I was but one. It made them overconfident. But I was still strong, well fed and in prime condition for a Drule. Even with six of them rushing me, it wasn't an effort to beat them back.

I tried to use just enough force to get them to leave me be. But they had no respect for my attempts at being gentle. The humans would be bruised and battered, just barely able to walk after our confrontation. But it was enough to get them to leave me alone for the days that followed. I may not have earned their respect, but I had earned their fear. They would not underestimate a Drule again.

I would lose track of the days. There are no windows available to us in the dungeons. Nor are there clocks, leaving us with no way to keep track of the hour. Time would distort, leaving us senseless of everything but our present reality. There was nothing to do, many of those imprisoned spending much of their time asleep. It seemed not to matter to them that the floor was filthy. Dreams were better than the nightmare of the waking world.

The only interruptions to this endless waiting was when one of two things occurred. The bringing of the slop they passed off for a meal, or the arrival of someone new in the dungeons. The latter did not happen all that often. Slaves were more apt to be killed on the spot, rather than sent to the dungeons. Even less rare was the arrival of someone with the intent to visit those locked away, and it was practically unheard of for the Prince to come to the dungeons.

But Lotor did come, long after time had lost it's meaning for me, and my belly constantly rumbled with hunger. He would stop before my cell, the other slaves cowering away from the bars. He'd stare at me a long moment, expression unreadable. I would return his gaze, walking forward. I refused to be intimated, to cower and hide.

There wasn't much choice in the things I could have said to him then. I was distraught over Romelle, over the fact that her fate was unknown to me. Lotor's presence in the dungeons did not guarantee anything, she could be dead, or she could be alive. Either way, I HAD to know of what had happened to her.

"Does..." My voice came out hoarse, my words choked out after a long period of silence. "Does she live...?"

Lotor's lips curled into a sneer then. "Look at how low she's brought you." A gesture of his hand to encompass the dungeons, Lotor looking disgusted by the conditions of my cell. "You've gone from the luxury of a high paid position, to wallowing in the filth of the dungeons. Was she worth it Sabbath? Was she worth being brought so low?"

I wrapped my fingers around the iron bars, needing to grip something as I steeled my gaze. "Does Romelle still live?" My voice was an urgent growl. I was wondering if Lotor too would leave me to wallow in uncertainty.

He certainly kept me waiting long enough, holding my gaze as he continued to sneer. But at last he nodded, and a breath expelled from me. My eyes closed, I was so relieved. "Thank the Gods."

"I wouldn't be so quick to thank anyone." He snapped back. "Her being alive is only a temporary thing at best. Doom will crush Pollux, just as it will all our enemies. Romelle will die. I will see to that personally."

"You'll never get near her again." My retort was full of confidence, my look knowing. "She is safe from you, from Doom. The Voltron Force will destroy the Doom Empire, and you with it...The galaxy will know peace once more..."

"Just listen to yourself, Sabbath!" Lotor hissed. "You're talking crazy! Beyond crazy, your words treasonous. That Romelle really turned you upside down, to get you so twisted up that you long for the destruction of our glorious empire!"

"There is no glory in what Doom does. In the misery and pain it causes." I retorted back.

"You were once part of that system." Lotor reminded me. "How many worlds were ruined by your commands? How many people dead or enslaved?"

"I've played my part..." I acknowledged. "I've done terrible things...on yours and the King's orders. What's worse, I acted without questioning such orders, behaved like a good little soldier. I can't ever make up for the past...but I can work to change the future."

"Oh?" Lotor's smiled, expression mocking. "And how will you do that? You can't change anything from a dungeon cell!" I narrowed my gaze at him, fingers clutching the bars harder. "You won't be able to make a difference, you've NEVER been able to. Certainly your actions never amounted to anything where Romelle was concerned!"

My eyes flashed with anger, but I was hurt. Hurt because I felt he was right. I had never been able to save her from the things happening to her. All I could do was bear witness to her pain and suffering.

"It's no wonder she left you without a second thought." Continued Lotor. "Romelle recognized that you were worthless to her now. She was quick to abandon you, to toss you aside like garbage."

"She did what she had to, to survive..." But my voice betrayed the slightest bit of uncertainty.

"Pity you didn't show that same ambition." Lotor retorted. "She did what she had to, to be free. Her ambitions in that outweighed her so called friendship to you."

"You're wrong..." I whispered.

"Am I?" Lotor asked. I nodded, though it lacked confidence. He snorted, and stepped back. "You fool. You've lost everything...everything and you have nothing to show for it."

"She's free. That's more than enough for me." He gave me a patronizing look, shaking his head no.

"That's cold comfort down here in the dungeons." With that, Lotor walked away. I didn't stare after him, instead gazing at my hands clutching the bars. Was this to be my fate? My future spent in the dungeons? Would I grow old and weak here, come to accept the filth and the slop?

For a time, the answer seemed to be yes. I would remain in the dungeons, growing weaker by the day. My stomach was constantly rumbling it's discomfort, the slop they fed us not enough to satisfy our appetites. I grew lethargic, half starved, and malnourished. The filth clung to me as surely as it did the floors, the dirt unavoidable when I collapsed from a need to sleep.

I was always cold, shivering violently. There was little heat to be found in the dungeons, the cold encouraging illness. I'd become feverish, dreaming of Romelle, of Lotor and of the past. Sometimes it felt like I was reliving these last few months, over and over without the ability to effect change. Other times I would dream of Romelle, and wonder if she was happy now that she was free. Had that brilliant smile returned to her? Or was she still haunted by her experiences on Doom?

There was even a small part of me that envied her freedom. I still felt hurt at being left behind, at the fact she hadn't trusted me enough to seek me out. I wondered if Romelle had thought so low of me that she had expected me to turn her back over to Lotor. But then I'd remember how little I had done to help her in the past. It was no wonder she had no faith in my ability to play her savior.

Sometimes I even thought of the man she had left with. The Garrison soldier. I wondered if he was still with her, if Romelle lauded him as her hero. I was full of angry jealousy towards this man, sometimes hating him for doing what I had been unable to do. I was torn between praising him, and damning him but mostly I damned myself.

I think in my miserable state, I would have been content to die from the fever. For then I would no longer be tortured by the dreams, the worries and the irrational emotions. But I didn't die. Instead I would be taken from the dungeons, brought to the castle's infirmary. I would awaken to a nurse leaning over me, and for one-second I was disoriented enough to think she was Romelle.

"Romelle..." Weakly, I reached for her. "You came back for me..." The vision would fade at the touch of my hand on the nurse's face, feeling how she stiffened in response. The blonde hair would be replaced by stark white, the porcelain pale complexion now the faintest hue of lavender. My smile would fade, I would stiffen in return. Just as abruptly, I would drop my arm, unease filling me.

"I will go get the doctor." The nurse was unsettled, hurrying out of the room. I would lay back in the bed, reveling in it's softness, and the cushioning feel of the pillows beneath my hair. The hospital room was a vast improvement to my cell, clean and smelling faintly of medicines. I myself had been bathed, my hair taken out of it's braids. Later, I would find my mother's beads gathered in a bowl on the night stand.

I was also given a much needed change of clothing. It's amazing how much of a mood lifter being clean causes. But I didn't trust this development, suspicion filling me as I waited for the doctor to appear. Why had they gone to so much trouble to tend to me? Why hadn't they left me in the dungeons? Why not let me die? What purpose could Lotor and the King have for me now?

It would be a small eternity before Doctor Shabatoba made his appearance. His appearance was a little mussed, surgical scrubs bearing the faintest stains of blood on them. I didn't inquire as to what he had been doing. He was surely a busy man, and I was recovering enough to not need round the clock care.

"Sabbath..." I thought it telling the Doctor didn't refer to me by my rank. I surely must have lost all position in the Empire. I sighed as he came closer to my bed, wondering bleakly what was to become of me. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions..." I just looked at him, unable to rouse much interest in what he had to say. That visibly frustrated Shabatoba, the Drule frowning. "Sabbath, I'm concerned about you. We all are."

"Are you really?" I managed to ask. He nodded. "Why?"

"You've been acting...very strange these last few months." He didn't answer my question, and I forced back a scowl. "Ever since that girl was brought to Doom." It was true that Romelle's presence had been the trigger to the change in me. I could acknowledge that much at least. "You've done things...things that aren't like you."

"How would you know..." I interrupted him.

"I've checked your file." Shabatoba was quick to answer. "I've read the accounts, interviewed some of the men who worked with you. You've led an exemplary career, had a bright future ahead of you. A career you disregarded, a future you tossed aside all for a woman."

"I'd do it again..." I started to say, but he spoke over me.

"You've been questioning orders, going against the prince. Openly attacking him. You've even spoken aloud some treasonous thoughts...It's all things that can brand you a traitor to the Empire. You're lucky you haven't been executed for your actions."

"Why am I still alive then?" I needed to know this.

"You've been extraordinarily lucky." Shabatoba said. "Part of it has to do with your record...the accomplishments you earned Doom. The King himself has recognized what a good soldier you've been...that you can still be..."

"Still?" I snorted, shaking my head no. "I'll never play soldier for the Empire again."

"Do not be so hasty Sabbath!" The doctor quickly protested. "You're being offered something few others on Doom get. A new chance..."

"And what would I have to do for this new chance?" I was suspicious, and rightfully so. The doctor turned hesitant, unable to meet my eyes.

"I've made a case with King Zarkon. He knows..."

"Knows what?" I demanded, sitting up.

"That you've been under a lot of stress...that it affected your mind and your sense of duty." Shabatoba explained. "That you, lost your wits for a while..."

"I am not crazy!"

"I have my doubts about that." Shabatoba retorted. I growled at him, but he seemed unaffected by my anger. "The King has already signed off on the papers. He;s eager to have his commander back."

"That will never happen!"

"I would think long and carefully on what I'm about to tell you. You shouldn't waste this opportunity, this chance to regain all that you lost." Shabatoba was unblinking then, holding my angry gaze. "All you have to do is agree to be committed for a while. Allow us to work with you, to help you become the man you once were..."

"You mean to brainwash me!" I snarled. "I won't allow it!"

"What other options do you have? You will be shunned otherwise, sent away from the castle, discharged without honors. What kind of life can you possibly have once you've been marked so?" His tone was reasonable as he asked me this. Shabatoba very much wanted to convince me to walk the path of the perfect Drule soldier. A path I had long since turned my back on.

"Even a life in the slums would be a million times better than a life without a free will of my own." I retorted. Shabatoba looked frustrated with my answer, the man shaking his head sadly.

"Is that really your final answer?"

"Of course it is! There's no other choice for me!" I meant it too. I would gladly walk away from this castle, from this life if it meant I'd never have to sit back and watch someone I care about be so abused. With Romelle gone, there was no reason for me to remain in the castle. I had stayed only on the hopes my presence could somehow make a difference to her fate.

"I still believe you should wait until you've had time to think about it..." Shabatoba began.

"My answer will be the same, no matter how long you keep me here!"

He sighed then. "I will inform the King of your decision then. I'll...be sorry to see you go."

I didn't know what to say to that, watching in stone face silence as the doctor left the room. I wouldn't relax, my hands fists on the blanket covering me as I wondered what I would do now. It wouldn't be an easy life I would have, walking away from the Empire. I'd lose my home in Kesodonia without a steady paycheck, my savings would eventually run out. It would be difficult to find a high paying job once it was learned I had been discharged from service without honors. But somehow I would manage. And all because I was starting down a new path, one that would keep me from simply sitting back and doing nothing as the Empire did it's evil right in front of me.

I won't say a weight had been lifted from me. My heart still felt heavy, and I felt very uncertain about what was to happen to me. The coming weeks would be rough, the first time I was without a purpose since the days after I had first been kicked out of the brothel. I would set out to reinvent myself, all in order to put an end to the restlessness I now found myself burdened with. I had no idea back then, that my life and Romelle's were still intertwined. Or that the visions of Doom's destruction had not yet been thwarted, fate continuing forward in an attempt to make Haggar's premonition come true.

To Be Continued...

Michelle


	38. Chapter 38

I would like to say I turned my back on Doom without ever looking back. But things weren't as clear cut as that. There were reminders of what I had left, the things I lost making my life harder. I had lost much of my power and the respect I had once commanded from others. My standing in the community was at an all time low. Even if I hadn't been willing to move, I would have been driven out of my neighborhood. And all because there was simply too many loyal soldiers who lived in that sector of Kesodonia. Soldiers who were prepared to make my life miserable.

Those days before I moved, I found myself openly attacked while walking out on the streets. I didn't always manage to come away unharmed, the cowards ganging up on me. I gave as good as I got, but the message I received was clear. They didn't want me for a neighbor, weren't content to let me live in peace. My home would be broken into, things stolen. What couldn't be carried off was destroyed, hateful messages being spray painted onto the walls. They called me traitor, they called me scum.

I wouldn't tolerate such treatment for long. I'd move as soon as it was feasible, but it was no Drule utopia I'd end up in. Druruga, was more village than city. It reminded me much of the slum city I grew up in, although Druruga wasn't anywhere as down on it's luck as Canias was. I'd settle on the outskirts of the village, in a one floor cottage that was small but clean. At least on the inside.

The people of Druruga Village kept to themselves for the most part. But there was still some who targeted me, spraying hateful messages on the outside of my home. I wouldn't bother to wash them away, or else I'd be at that task for the rest of my life. The vandalization would continue, windows being broken, rocks with messages being thrown inside. I had my suspicions that someone was encouraging these people to make trouble for me.

You might wonder why I remained on planet Doom. But my options were limited. The Doom Empire's influence was wide spread through out the Denubian Galaxy, many worlds having fallen to it's might. Those that remained free were in danger of falling at any moment, but there was another factor to consider. Those free worlds, they hated and feared the Drules. They wouldn't have welcomed me with open arms. I would have been greeted with suspicion and violence, perhaps even driven off the land by the mistrustful people.

I wouldn't blame them for such a response to my presence. How many times had they opened their homes to a Drule? How many times had those Drules been sent as an advance party to an invasion, or as spies? But more than that, why should I expect them to accept me when I had once been a ruthless commander of Doom's armies? I had led many a Drule to victory against the other worlders. I was a war criminal who had turned his back on my own people. I belonged nowhere now, and yet was desperate to at least make amends for my military career.

It wasn't easy to know what to do next. I needed to secure a life for myself, before I set about trying to help others. But it was no easy thing to do. I was black listed at many places, people refusing to hire me. Even for jobs that were beneath me, it was difficult to gain employment. I'd ration out the money I had in my account. What had once been a small fortune would dwindle down to almost nothing.

Eventually however, I found someone willing to hire me. She kept me from ending up in the gutters, kept me from going full circle back to my beginnings. Lady Sarada, who owned the largest of the extermination companies on planet Doom. She wasn't born into Drule nobility, but she had bought her title on the money her business had earned her.

It was no simple pest control she supplied. The quarry we exterminated was far larger, and infinitely more dangerous. You could lose your life hunting these creatures, and yet people flocked to Lady Sarada. Both for the high paychecks, and the security her business offered the cities and villages of Doom. For you see, there are monsters that roam the lands. Creatures both natural born, and fiends engineered by Haggar's own hand.

These monsters posed a threat to both safe traveling, and to the cities' security. The monsters were known for attacking travelers, preying on them as food. The exterminators hired by Lady Sarada would travel out into the wilds, patrolling the land between cities. We'd hunt down any threats, kill them before they could kill us. It was good work for a former soldier, my training coming in handy to keep me alive.

I'd settle into a routine, being away from my home in Druruga quite often. Many nights were spent outside the cities, sleeping inside a tent. I'd work alone, so traps were essential, alarms also rigged to alert me should a predator wander into my camp's perimeter.

I was gone so often, no one in Druruga questioned my whereabouts. They simply accepted I was busy with work. It wasn't always true. I would be busy, but not with what they assumed. I was begginning my life as a rebel, actively acting out against Doom. It manifested in small attempts at sabotage, I would sneak into the work sites of the slaves. There I would damage the equipment the Drule overseers used, ruining plans, even planting explosives on their ships.

It was a minor inconvenience at best. I was mere annoyance, but I was building up for something bigger. I was stealing parts, the things needed to make future explosives. I had dreams of making a bomb big enough to blow up castle Doom, and Lotor with it. Sometimes I spied on soldier's conversation, trying to glean information I could use to foil the Empire's plots.

My work as a traveling exterminator allowed me to pull double duty as a saboteur. Often the patrols would lead me near to sites of interest. But the castle still eluded me, no amount of scheming could get me close enough without being shot on sight. Sometimes I would explore the underground caverns, the ones that had been discovered beneath the pit of skulls. I was hoping to find a tunnel that would take me directly beneath the castle, to a prime location where I could set the bomb.

And while I was doing all this, the war between Doom and Arus would continue. My civilian status limited me to what the Empire released on the news holos. I had no doubt they carefully edited those reports in order to lead the people of planet Doom into believing the war was going better than it actually was. Doom's plots continued to be foiled by Voltron, Arus remaining free. But it wasn't just Arus, other worlds evaded Doom's greedy grasp. Thanks in no small part to the efforts of the Voltron Force.

There was no doubt in my mind that the King would be as angry as he was frustrated by the defeats Voltron handed his Empire. I wondered how Lotor and Haggar were keeping their heads intact, remembering how often Zarkon killed others for the failure of his plans. But I heard no word of anyone being slain, least of all Lotor. He continued to lead failed mission after mission, leaving Zarkon to come up with a new plan.

I'd first hear of this new plan as whispers in Druruga. Even as far out as the village was, the gossip came. The people spoke of a great tournament King Zarkon was holding at the coliseum. The best fighters, and strongest of the gladiators were being called out. Pitted against each other in a battle to the death. Whole ships full of aliens kidnaped from other worlds were arriving on Doom. The stolen people forced to become a part of the tournament.

At first I assumed it was a typical arena spectacle, one meant to amuse Zarkon even as Haggar groomed the victor to become her latest robeast. But the fighting would go on for days, a week passing with no end in sight. There was many deaths, only a handful of the most vicious aliens surviving. Those would be cloistered away, whispers being carried on the wind that they were being treated in Haggar's lair.

I had no doubts something big was being planned. But I didn't know what. More and more ships would arrive, carrying newly stolen people from distant worlds. They were chosen not to be slaves but to be fighters in the coliseum. It got to the point the rumors insisted the castle could not hold all the aliens slated to become robeasts. That many were being held in fortresses all over planet Doom.

I would become determined to find out what was going on. Not just to satisfy my curiosity, but in order to prevent Zarkon's latest scheme from getting off the ground. I would use the excuse of my work, a call being put out to hunt an escaped alien from the arena. The alien had been turned into a vicious robeast, one that was preying on anything it could get it hands on. Already several exterminators had been killed, leaving the remainder wary of taking this job.

I would take it, seeing the job as the excuse I needed to get close to the castle. I'd go heavily armed, setting up a base camp in the sector near to the castle where the creature had made it's most recent kill. Some distance away, I'd pause, whipping out my micro binoculars. I'd use them to scout out the area, earnestly searching for signs of the robeast.

As I looked through them, I could see the castle in the distance. I'd used the zoom feature to get a better view, shifting to the side that would allow me a glimpse inside the coliseum. Sure enough, I could see the aliens battling each other, a survival of the fittest. The arena's stands were packed with spectators, Drules coming from all over the planet to watch the fights being held.

To the east of the castle was a work site, the slaves toiling there without breaks. If they dared collapsed, they were beaten and whipped, the Drules trying to force them to continue past their exhausted states. It was nothing I hadn't seen before, nothing I'd be able to stop. The slaves that tried to escape were always shot down, Doom extra determined to prevent a repeat of Romelle's success. But even with the deaths and the torture, the slaves never stopped trying to get away from their tormentors. They truly preferred death to living out a life of slavery.

I'd put away the micro binoculars, pausing only long enough to check the charges on all my weapons. I had many, and even more left at the camp site. A long sniper rifle was across my back, a hand blaster holstered at my hip. A dagger was in a leg sheathe, and I even had some photon bombs attached to my belt. I had enough to handle most threats, and it was my hope that I spot the robeast long before it saw me.

I'd travel across the plains, being careful not to disturb so much as a rock. I wanted nothing to give away my presence for I hoped to sneak up on the robeast. It was my intent to shoot it from a distance, rather than get up close and personal with it.

At one point I'd come across it's tracks, feet leaving imprints in the sand. It was sheer luck that the winds hadn't yet blown apart it's footprints, and I hurried after the trail of them. They would lead me close to one of the Empire's fortresses. There'd be claw marks on the stones, and blood splattered on the ground. Not a lot though, leaving me to believe the robeast had injured it's fingers in trying to claw open the stone wall of the fortress.

I wondered at that. Did the robeast have a purpose to coming here? Perhaps it wasn't as mindless as the reports said. Other aliens slated to become robeasts, or already transformed were inside this building. Maybe the robeast had wanted to free them too, or maybe it was just spoiling for a fight. Either way, my job was to put it down but the trail had ended at the back of the fortress.

I could hear the howls of the enraged robeasts, they were agitated and longing to be free of their prison. Sometimes I could faintly make out the laughter of the guards. They were teasing the trapped robeasts, further agitating them. It was a stupid thing to do, the soldiers lacking sense and searching for petty amusements. I could do nothing for their stupidity, knowing they might end up dead if they continued to prod the robeasts past acceptable levels of tolerance.

I would be circling around the fortress, when a side door would open. Two Drules would emerge, grumbling under their breaths as they stepped outside. They'd pay me little attention, save for a sidelong glance. They didn't recognize me, my hair was hidden under a skull cap, my face obscured by shadows. But they saw the identifying marks on my clothing, the emblems letting them know I was one of the exterminators that patrolled this area.

"Gods, I don't know why we have to be out here." One complained. He gave a paranoid look around the area, his hand resting on his holstered weapon. "There's no way anyone will come here...the alliance members can't get past our planetary shield..."

"True, but I've heard rumors..." said his partner. "Things going screwy at the work sites. Stuff being stolen, or broken. Even a few unexplained ship explosions."

"It's probably the slaves acting up...the King will soon put an end to that." The more frightened of the two was still looking around, as though he expected the escaped robeast to spring out at any moment.

"I hope you're right. More and more slaves are trying to escape...we're wasting good ships shooting them down." There was no regret for the loss of the slave's lives, they didn't count for much in the soldier's eyes.

"It's all because that one slave managed to escape. That gives them hope that it can happen again." Grumbled the other. "They don't realize it was a one time thing...it's never gonna happen again."

I pulled out my micro binoculars, all in order to have an excuse to linger here a moment. The soldiers continued to ignore me. "It's because of men like us that no other slaves will escape from Doom!" They both laughed, though they were nervous. "You think any more of the robeasts will get loose?"

"Who knows..." Was the sighed out answer. "There's bound to be a few slip ups with the amount Zarkon is stockpiling. You can't expect to make an army of robeasts, and not have a few problems..."

I stiffened, trying not to look their way. What was this about an army of robeasts?

"I'll just be glad when we get the okay to transport them off planet. Let them be another world's problems, the whole lot of them!"

"I wonder how things will be when they become super powered robeasts." The soldier's musings had me taking in a sharp breath. I was shocked at the concept of a robeast that was super powered. "I mean...if we're having this much trouble with regular robeasts, can you imagine how much more difficult it will be to contain those who have been amped up on lazon and nuclear radiation?"

"I'm sure the Empire will manage somehow..." The other tried to sound reassuring.

"I won't feel better until after they've been transformed, and sent to Arus!" He laughed, but it was a nervous sound. "And I'm doubly glad I haven't been stationed on that satellite the robeasts are going to be sent to!"

I hadn't heard nearly enough, but I knew I couldn't stay here any longer. Not without arousing the soldiers' suspicion. I put away the micro binoculars, and giving a nod to the soldiers, began to walk away. But I wasn't leaving with the intent to search out the escaped robeast. No, my intent was to head back to my camp site. I had telaportable com system there, one that would let me get out a message even as far as Arus.

It was my hopes that my warning of what Doom was planning would somehow help the Voltron Force, though I knew I needed to find out even more details than what I already knew. Right now I could only prepare Arus for the fact that an army of robeasts would soon be heading their way. It might not do them any good, but it was all I had. At least as long as I didn't know of the location of the satellite the soldiers had mentioned.

But it was my intent to find out. I knew I had little hope of breaking into one of the fortresses. But one of the work sites of the slaves would prove easier. I could hack into a computer located at the site, gaining access to the classified documents of the military. And with that access, it was my hope I would find out about the satellite, and just what the process entailed that would turn the aliens into super robeasts.

I was hurrying, but was no less careful. I crossed the sandy plain, noting the winds had already blown away the robeast's footprints. I kept my senses tuned for any noise, any sighting of the robeast. I could not afford to be killed by it, not when I had such an important message to send to Arus. When the scream came, I nearly leapt out of my skin, so startled by the unexpected noise.

There were several reasons possible as to why a scream was being voiced. This area I was in was close to a site where slaves were kept. They could be being tortured by their Drule masters, or even being preyed on by the very robeast I was sent to hunt. Or it could be a traveler, whose hover car had somehow been incapacitated. It could have even been a patrol of Drule soldiers who had run into the robeast, but I doubted that one. And all because the scream had been noticeably female, loud and full of fear.

I was already running in the direction I thought the scream had come from. I was pulling the rifle off my back, cocking back it's trigger, the charge set to kill. The scream sounded again, close this time. I began running even faster, thinking I had recognized the voice behind it. When the scream came a third time, I was certain it was her. I'd never forget the sound of her screams, the panic and revulsion she had voiced that night. A panic and revulsion she was voicing now.

There was rocky outcroppings spread out over the land. Perfect to hide behind. The screams were coming from one such outcropping, along with male voices who laughed and jeered. I didn't need to hear what they were saying to guess at their intent. They had found the perfect prey for their lusts.

I didn't stop, though I did slow down. From the voices I could tell there was at least three men with the screaming woman. No doubt they were Drule, and though I am a strong, skilled fighter, I would find a match if these men were soldiers of the Empire.

It made me seethe, a slow burn working it's way through me as I crept towards the rocks. They were taller than me, forcing me to scramble for purchase up the rock. As I did this, I listened to the voices, fighting back a growl.

"Get her legs open!" One was saying, even as I heard the rustle of clothing.

"Be careful, she's a fighter!" Another warned.

"I don't know which slave pit you came from, but we'll make you regret trying to escape!" laughed the third.

"Get your hands off of me, you filthy pigs!" The woman screamed. The sound of a slap was heard, a Drule growling as he struck the woman.

"Stupid bitch, you should be honored to be fucked by us!"

"There is no honor in what you attempt to do!" She snapped back, then screamed even louder.

"Shit, someone gag her mouth!" Came the order. "She'll have every predator in a ten mile radius on us if she keeps up with that racket!"

They didn't realize a predator was already upon them. I had pulled myself to the top of the rocks, balancing on a narrow ledge as I sighted down the scope of my sniper rifle. I could see everything, the soldier holding up the woman, her arms twisted behind her back. The already too short skirt of her pink dress being hiked up high enough on her that her panties were visible. Another solider stood before her, trying to dodge the woman's kicking legs. The third soldier had his pants open, half erect cock showing as he moved towards her head. I had no doubt what he intended to use to silence her screams, but he'd never get a chance to shove his dick into her mouth.

The soldiers screamed in shock and alarm as their comrade toppled over backwards. A large hole was where his face had been, blood bubbling out of the smoking remains. The one holding the woman didn't drop her, looking around with a dull look of disbelief on his face. The one who had been fighting her legs was already whipping out his hand blaster. A kick from the woman knocked the blaster out of his hand at the exact instant my shot exploded his face into bits.

The woman couldn't help herself, she screamed at the horrific way her would be rapist died. Her remaining torturer still hadn't set her down, holding her like a shield before him. I would leap off the ledge, my feet hitting the ground with a jarring impact that he heard.

"Show yourself, you coward!"

"It is not I who is the coward!" I retorted, and stepped past the rocky outcropping. The soldier looked at me, jaw dropping as he saw the insignias on my clothing. "Look at you." I sneered. "Hiding behind the very woman you hoped to rape...!" I narrowed my gaze at him, eyes glinting with menace.

"It's kept me alive this long, hasn't it?" He demanded, still holding onto the girl. "Now drop your weapon if you don't want something worse to happen to this pretty morsel." I stared at him, still sneering. He tensed, and growled at me. "Do it!"

Grumbling under my breath, I dropped the rifle on the ground, even as the woman gasped. "Don't!"

"Shut up!" He snapped at her, shaking her. "Now the blaster and the bombs...carefully now...don't want those going off..." I slowly did as he asked, setting everything down carefully. He watched me all the while, unable to relax. "Those were good friends of mine you killed. I'm gonna make you pay for that. I'm gonna..." It was then that the woman he held slammed her head backwards into his face. He howled in surprise, his grip loosening when she kicked back her legs.

The instant she had pulled free, the Drule trying to reach after her, I pulled out my dagger. It was flying before I had registered my movement, whistling through the air. It's journey would end, embedded between the Drule's eyes. He'd go cross-eyed, as if trying to look at the weapon sticking in him. And then he was falling over backwards, as dead as his friends were.

There was a long pause after the last of his death rattles. The woman had turned to look at the dead soldier, seeming to shudder at the sight of him. I wasn't looking at any of the dead, studying the woman instead. She looked better than I had last seen her, her skin no longer so pale. Her long hair was bound back with multiple braids, but some of them were coming undone all due to her recent struggles.

She turned, and there was no mistaking that shade of blue that colored her eyes. I was stunned to see her, much of my adrenaline and anger fading to the background as I stared at her. She blinked several times at me, and I realized she was fighting back tears. I whispered, her name seeming to echo softly around us.

"Romelle?"

She nodded once, and then her face crumpled. With tears streaking down her cheeks, she ran to me. I did the only thing I could in the moment. I opened my arms to welcome her into my embrace. Questions would come, new worries forming. But for now, there was only this moment.

To Be Continued...

Michelle


	39. Chapter 39

I can't begin to voice how good it felt to hold Romelle in my arms once more. To feel the soft yield of her body, the princess letting down her guard as she relaxed against me. I tightened my arms around her, feeling as though I might never let her go. My chin rested on top of her hair, that shining crown of blonde clean and soft. It smelled faintly of whatever shampoo she had used, but she hadn't doused herself in her preferred perfumes. They would have been too strong a scent, would have given away her presence to any Drule who passed too near to her.

Her own arms were wound about me, fingers clinging to the back of my vest. She was trembling, her voice muffled against my chest. She wasn't trying to speak, her voice taken by tears. I could guess at her upset, Romelle overcome after her rescue from a near rape. If I examined deeper, she might even be remembering the time Lotor had forced himself on her. The trauma of this event being replaced with the memories of another, more horrific time.

I stayed holding her, one hand playing my fingers in the loose hair that trailed down her back. It was foolish of me. I should have let her go to reclaim my weapons. Should have waited until I moved us to a secure location before playing at comforting her. But I was overcome with emotions, happy to see her and yet not. Happy because I had thought I would never have the privilege of seeing Romelle again. Never mind that now I was holding and touching her.

But a worry was ruining any joy I was experiencing, a frown crossing my face as I continued to pet her hair. Why was she here on Doom? Alone and defenseless. Why was she not on her planet, where she would be surrounded by people willing to protect her? Why would she ever risk coming back here? What could possibly motivate her? I didn't think she had come back for me, never that. I should have been easily forgotten, just one more facet of a nightmare that had finally ended for her.

She was still crying when I eased her back. But the tears were silent now, just watery streaks down her cheeks. Romelle looked confused that I had stepped back from her, my hands still gripping her arms as I looked her over. I had so many questions, but the first thing that blurted out of my mind was this.

"Just what are you wearing!"

She instantly flushed at my disapproval. Romelle was wearing a dress unlike anything I had ever seen her wear before, the pink skirt super short. I realized it was still hiked up, revealing the lace of her panties. My own face grew hot, though I couldn't blush. I quickly reached for the skirt, pulling it down to give her a semblance of respectability.

"It's something that's easy to move around in." Romelle defended her choice in clothing. I shook my head, still frowning as I let my eyes linger at the cleavage revealed of the v cut of her top. She even had a short white cape attached to the shoulders of her top, it's ends falling even with the short length of her skirt. It seemed highly inappropriate to me, the outfit bold and daring.

And then there was the color, the bight hues of pink and clean white standing out in stark contrast to the muddied browns and dismal grays of Doom's landscape. She stuck out like a sore thumb, it was no wonder she had been found by those three Drules I had killed.

"It's good to see you again Sabbath." Romelle began, clearly trying to distract me from her attire. "I..."

"What are you doing here?" I interrupted her. "Why would you ever come back to Doom? Are you alone here? Where are your guards? Why have you no weapons? What are you thinking...?" Question after question poured out of me, my worry and stern disapproval competing for dominance. "If Prince Lotor learns you are here..."

"He won't know..." She quickly assured me. "You're the only Drule who knows I am here..."

"Only because I killed these three fools!" I reminded her. Her head started to turn, as though she would look at the bodies. I didn't want her looking at such gruesome sights, quickly taking hold of her face. Cradling it between my hands, I forced her to stay looking at me. "Romelle...why...why come back?"

"I made a promise." She said at last. My brow lifted, wondering what kind of promise she could mean. "I made a promise that one day I would come back to Doom and free all the slaves."

I wasn't sure how to react to that. It would be rude to laugh. But Romelle was serious, thinking she could somehow accomplish what was thought to be impossible. "You should worry about yourself first and foremost." I finally told her, tone gruff. "You were finally free...of Doom, of Lotor..."

"I will never be free so long as he lives, and the Doom Empire continues to flourish." She reached up to grab hold of my wrists, but she didn't try to free herself from my hands' hold. "If the Empire is not stopped permanently, they will continue to attack worlds, to enslave people. I can't allow it. I have to play my part, to do anything I can to stop them."

"That's very admirable of you..."

"But you don't want me putting myself in harm's way, do you?" Romelle asked, and I nodded. "You're just like him..."

"Him? Your brother...?"

"Him too." She agreed.

My frown deepened. "And Bandor just let you leave? After all you've both been through?" My opinion of Prince Bandor was dropping to an all time low, but Romelle shook her head no.

"He didn't know. I left without asking him."

"Left without asking him?" My voice went louder with my disbelief. "Does anyone know you are here on Doom?"

"I left a note." She looked defensive then, my hands dropping from her face to her arms. I was tempted to shake some sense into her. "I didn't come here alone..."

"I should hope not!" I all but roared. It was only the knowledge that the robeast I had been sent to hunt could find us, that kept me from shouting completely. "And where are your companions? Why are they not here? Why have they left you to be attacked by anyone who comes across you? Don't tell me they've been killed?"

"They...I..." She shook her head, having blanched at the thought of their deaths. "Of course not. They're around..."

"Around where?" I demanded, and snorted. "They should be keeping a better eye on you!"

"They don't have time to baby sit! We're on an important mission!"

"You're what's important!" I blurted out. "Don't they...don't you realize that? Romelle, if anything happened to you...I'd..."

"You'd what...?" She asked softly, and I turned my head to the side. I wanted to hide my expression from her, feeling embarrassed by the depth of the feelings I had almost exposed. "Sabbath...please...finish what you were about to say..."

"This is not a good time to be on Doom." I was still holding her by the arms. "The King is plotting something..."

"Yes, I know." I turned back to her, my surprise in my eyes. "It's why I'm here. To find out the details and stop him."

"Couldn't they have sent someone else?" I grumbled out loud.

"It doesn't matter where I am, what planet I am on if Zarkon's plans are successful" retorted Romelle. "The galaxy won't be safe if he makes his army of robeasts."

"So you know that much..." I murmured, then tensed. I thought I had heard something, rock shifting nearby.

"Sabbath?" Romelle had noticed the way I had gone stiff, the girl touching my chest to get my attention. "What's wrong...?"

"Shhh..." I hissed, and making sure she remained behind me, I turned. My weapons still lay scattered on the ground. I was cursing then that I hadn't retrieved them sooner. "Don't make a sound..." I advised Romelle, drawing her along with me as I inched towards one of the photon bombs nearest to us. One arm was reaching for the bomb, the other extended behind me to keep a grip on Romelle. I'd drag her down with me to our knees, my eyes still scouting the area around us. It was then that I saw the gleam of what had to be a red laser discharging.

Without voice, I dove to the side. I took Romelle with me, arms going around her protectively. The laser would hit just where we had been kneeling, coming dangerously close to activating the bomb. Romelle was on top of me, trembling and wide eyed with shock. But she didn't speak, didn't so much as scream. She was trusting me to protect her, and I could only hope I was up to the task.

Rolling to the side, I somehow managed to get us upright without being shot. Romelle stayed clinging to my chest even as I tried to position her behind me. It was the fact that she stayed in front of me that saved me, a voice calling out.

"Damn you, you filthy Drule bastard. Let go of the woman!" The insult let me know I wasn't dealing with a Drule, as did the heavily accented voice. I couldn't place the accent, the words almost mangled as the man spoke in Basic.

"Who are you?" I growled, looking to the left and right for any sign of this attacker. "Show yourself!" It was eerily reminiscent of the words Romelle's attackers had spoken, only now the situation had reversed itself on me. "Come out!"

"Sven!" Romelle's cry took me by surprise, almost distracting me from my survey of the area. "It's all right. I'm unharmed..."

"Damn it, Romelle, be silent for once!" Came the reply. She took offense to that, an angry huff escaping her.

"If you'd stop giving orders for just one instant, you'd know this man is no threat to me..!"

"This man is a Drule! They are all threats!" The mysterious Sven shouted, sounding highly agitated.

"Not Sabbath." Romelle insisted. I heard a sharp breath, the man reacting to the name. "You remember Sabbath, don't you?"

I was confused. I knew I would remember an accent like the one this man had. And yet Romelle was acting like this Sven should know me. "Romelle?"

"It's all right Sabbath..." She whispered to me. I wasn't reassured, tense and trying to be subtle as I looked towards my rifle.

"Sabbath, you say..." At Romelle's nod, foot steps sounded. Someone was coming from around the rocks. I would get my first glimpse of Sven, a tall human with ink black hair. His eyes were angry, his lips twisted into a scowl as he inched towards us. All the while he kept his blaster trained on us, his eyes studying my face. "So...this is him...this is Sabbath?"

"Put down the weapon Sven." ordered Romelle. "You won't need it around Sabbath."

"I will be the judge of that." Sven retorted. He was giving me the evil eye, and I can't say I wasn't giving him a similar expression. "What are you doing out here Lieutenant?"

Without reacting, I spoke. "Lieutenant no more. I'm no longer part of the military."

"Sabbath, what happened?" Romelle asked.

"They gave me a choice, Romelle. Submit to their brainwashing in order to become a good soldier, or leave without any honor left to me. My choice was clear...I chose the latter..."

"Did you now?" Sven sounded mocking, as though he didn't believe me. "Why would a Drule do such a thing? Why turn your back on your career, on the power you once commanded?"

"There was no honor in that route, regardless of what the other Drules believe...besides...I only stayed a part of the military as long as I did in order to be able to remain close to Romelle." Sven's mouth was an unhappy line. "I had to stay as long as I believed I could make some difference for her...small though it might have been." I added, noting Romelle looked teary eyed to hear that.

"Oh...Sabbath..."

"And who are you?" I asked, Romelle still held in my arms. I wasn't ready to let go of her, and she wasn't trying to move. "A soldier from Pollux?" I flashed my own unhappy expression then. "You're not doing a good job if you let your princess run about like this...she was nearly prey to these men..."

His gaze flickered briefly to one of the dead soldiers, expression hardening even further. "I am not from Pollux, though I once was a soldier same as you."

"Sven used to be part of the Galaxy Alliance's Garrison." Explained Romelle. Understanding instantly dawned in me, my arms going slack. This was the soldier, the one who had helped Romelle escape from Doom. The one I had both admired and been sick with jealousy of. This was Romelle's hero, the man who had saved her. The man who had done what I could not.

"Sabbath?" Romelle was concerned by my lack of response. Her hand reached up, fingers touching my cheek. I tried not to flinch at her touch, not wanting to worry her further.

"You have my thanks." I said at last. My voice was hoarse as I extended a hand towards Sven. He stared at it in suspicion. "You got her free of this place..." He didn't take my hand. My own gaze hardened, realizing this man didn't like nor trust me. I couldn't say I had any like for him either, and it showed in what I said next. "What were you thinking? Bringing her back here?"

"You think it's easy to keep her from doing something once she makes up her mind?" Sven demanded with a scowl.

"If I was you, I would have found a way to keep her from returning to Doom!" I shot back with my own scowl. Romelle was looking back and forth between us, and our words made her angry. Angry enough to step away from me.

"I can and will make my own choices regarding what I can and cannot do!" She retorted, hands on her hips. "Sven wouldn't have been able to stop me...and neither would you have, Sabbath!"

Both of us looked at each other, and then our expressions turned sheepish. "She's very headstrong for a princess." Sven muttered at last.

"You haven't been around very many princesses, have you?" I asked, thinking of Princess Allura's own rumored brand of headstrong.

"Just one other..." Sven said, and Romelle supplied the answer to the question that comment brought me.

"Sven was the original pilot of blue lion." She explained.

"Original pilot? I hadn't been aware there was more than one..."

"That damn witch!" Sven spat. "She got me good. I wasn't able to fight anymore...sent to recover in a hospital on another planet..."

I could guess what had happened next for Sven to have ended up on planet Doom. "I'm...sorry that happened to you Sven." But I couldn't force myself to say anymore, couldn't bring myself to say I was happy he had been here to rescue Romelle. And all because I had wanted to be the one to save her.

"What good is a Drule's sorry?" Sven demanded. "It won't change the past...it won't change what has been done to me...to Romelle!"

"The past can't be changed..." agreed Romelle. "But we can work on making a better future..."

"The future won't be better until all the Drule are dead!" Sven announced, his blaster being aimed at me. He looked very much like he wanted to start the extermination with me. I tensed, but before anything could happen between us, Romelle stepped in front of me. She held her arms out to the sides, blocking Sven's shot.

"Sven, no! You will not be killing Sabbath. He's a friend..."

"No Drule will be a friend of mine!" Sven swore.

"You don't have to be his friend." Romelle snapped. "But you're not going to kill him!"

"Romelle, think! His very presence endangers our mission. If we let him go...he could alert the castle to our presence here on Doom! It's a risk we can't take!"

"Sabbath won't betray us...he'd never let me fall into Lotor's hands once more!" Romelle insisted.

"Why? Why would he? Because of some one sided friendship you imagined?" Sven demanded.

"I am Romelle's friend." I spoke quietly, but they seemed to ignore me.

"Sabbath has quit the military. He no longer does their dirty work..." Romelle was cut off by a laugh from Sven.

"He could be just telling you what you want to hear. It'd be best to kill him, and kill him now..."

"NO!"

I placed my hands on Romelle's shoulders, startling her. "I don't know how to convince you Sven of my sincerity where the military is concerned. I no longer want to be part of Doom's evil...If you would give me a chance...I would help you with your mission."

"Hmph. Like I would believe a Drule." Sven grumbled.

"I believe him." Romelle spoke up. "Just as I believe in you Sven. We've all become...damaged because of our experiences on Doom. That includes Sabbath. And just like us, he is trying to become better, to do the right thing. Let him try..."

"This is a mistake..." But Sven was lowering his weapon.

"Is it any bigger a mistake than coming to Doom?" wondered Romelle.

"I think the real mistake was letting you leave the base..." Sven grimaced. "It's too dangerous for a woman to be out here alone..."

"In more ways than you know." I said, agreeing with him. "There's an escaped robeast wandering the area. It's already killed several hunters..." I glanced at the bodies on the ground. "We can't afford the risk of them being found. Nor can we count on the beast stumbling upon them and devouring the remains. We'll have to dispose of the bodies and fast..."

"We'll burn them." Decided Sven. I nodded. It was as good an idea as any.

"Sabbath..." Romelle was collecting my weapons, intent on giving them back to me. "What do you know of Zarkon's latest plan?"

"Not as much as I'd like." I admitted with a grimace. "It's true what you heard. Zarkon is trying to make an army of robeasts. Even now, they fight in the arena, the strongest being chosen for augmentation. But it won't be no ordinary robeasts the galaxy will face. They have found a way to make a kind of super powered robeast!"

"Super powered robeast?" Romelle gasped, horrified.

"I don't know what that entails..." I admitted, watching as Sven began working on setting a fire. "There are fortresses all over Doom that are being used to house the robeasts."

"So we should start there..." Sven said, and I shook my head no.

"We'd never get inside...even if that was where the transformation was taking place."

"What do you know?" Sven asked, and I shrugged.

"I overheard some guards say something about some satellite. They didn't mention a name. But apparently the robeasts will be taken there to undergo treatment."

"Oh, and you just happened to overhear this?" He demanded.

"Sven, don't be so suspicious of Sabbath!" Romelle snapped. "He's on our side."

"That remains to be seen." Sven grumbled, sparks at last taking hold. Together we would work to drag over the bodies to the fire, pausing only long enough to take anything of use off of them.

"What about you?" I grunted, as we dropped the last of the bodies into the bonfire. "How did you even know Zarkon was planning something?"

"Zarkon is always planning something." Sven stated. "It was just a matter of finding out what the latest plan is..."

"You're risking a lot...in coming here..."

"Don't I know it." Sven said, gazing at Romelle who seemed not to notice. "But if we hadn't come, we might not have ever learned of Zarkon's new army. Not in time to do anything about it."

"I was going to warn Arus." He gave me a disbelieving look. "I was!" I insisted. "I was heading to my camp site, when I heard Romelle's screams..."

"It doesn't matter what you were or weren't gonna do." He decided. "Come...we can't stay here any longer...someone may see the smoke and come to investigate..."

"Is your base nearby?" I asked.

"It's not too far a walk." He grudgingly admitted.

"Then let's go." I said.

"What about your camp?" He asked.

I wasn't worried. "If anyone comes across it, they will assume either I am out hunting, or that the beast I've been sent to kill has taken me out. Either way, I don't matter..."

"You have no friends or family to come looking for you?" Sven wanted to know. Now I looked at Romelle.

"The only true friend I have left on Doom is standing right here."

Sven made a sound, but was otherwise silent. Id gesture for Romelle to approach us, the girl hurrying over. Together, we would head out towards this base of theirs. I was a mix of emotions, elated to be reunited with Romelle but also worried. Would we be caught? Would we be able to make a difference here on Doom? There was even excitement, for my life as a terrorist against Doom was begginning in earnest now.

Okay...so time to explain how I originally saw this story ending before I started writing it. When I first thought up the idea for Songbird, two scenes were strong in my mind, Sabbath being beaten by Lotor who then rapes Romelle...and when Sabbath encounters Romelle as a Doom terrorist. Back then I thought the story would end with Sabbath seeing Romelle with Sven. With having the realization that he was not Romelle's hero, that he wasn't the one to get her off Doom.

Thankfully I quickly realized that would leave the story only half finished! Some things got changed since then...Lotor actually got to tell Sabbath the "He's not the hero" lines in an earlier chapter. (Which was the ending line Sabbath was supposed to think in my original idea for the ending.) I'm pleased with how the story evolved.., and hopefully the ending will be a lot more satisfactory than the one I first envisioned! XD

To Be Continued of Course!

Michelle


	40. Chapter 40

The base camp wasn't much to be impressed with, it being a bare bones operation. My tent was more luxurious than the cave they had set up camp in, and warmer too. The wind constantly blew in through the western opening, strong enough to put out any fires they might light. It left them dependent on heat lamps, the lanterns functioning both as light and as a warming device.

Blankets were spread out on the hard, stone floor. Two men currently kneeled on them, though one look at me had them both scrambling to their feet. They immediately reached for the hand blasters at their sides, though they never got to use them. Romelle had purposefully stepped in front of me in order to shield me from their shots.

Sven didn't like this, his body stiffening with his displeasure. But he didn't try to antagonize the two humans any further, gesturing at them to lower their weapons. They looked confused at that, the one with the curly brown hair casting a nervous look at Romelle.

"It's all right." Romelle assured him. "He's a friend."

"Hmph." A snort from Sven, the man walking over to where several crates lay stacked against the wall. On top of one was a portable computer, small but bulky to accommodate the large battery it ran on. Even at that size they would have to limit it's use. The battery simply wouldn't last indefinitely. Nor could they risk bringing a portable energy generator with them. It would have put out too much power, and brought the military to investigate the source of that energy.

"A friend?" The two humans were dressed in tunics that were fashioned in the style so common of planet Pollux. The tunics didn't look very warm, leaving the arms exposed.

"Yes."

"But princess..." The blonde's eyes narrowed in hate. "He's a Drule!"

"I know that." Romelle retorted. "But this is Sabbath. He helped me while I was a prisoner of Lotor's."

"Ah..." That didn't completely put them at ease, but the curly haired one lowered his weapon.

"Sabbath...this is Malkom." Romelle made introductions, nodding at the brown haired man. "And this is Dealian." The blonde scowled at me, his eyes full of mistrust. That was fine with me. I hadn't done anything to earn any of these men's trust or friendship.

"Why is he here?" Dealian wanted to know.

"Well, we couldn't exactly let him run around free, now could we?" Sven asked, his blaster set aside so that he could fiddle with the computer's settings.

"You should have killed him then!" Dealian snapped. "A Drule poses too big a risk. Both to the princess and the operation!"

"Am I any more of a risk than letting your princess wander the planet alone and unarmed?" I was snide which only earned me more anger from the blonde.

"Sabbath, we've been over that..." Romelle sounded chiding. As we had journey to the base camp, Romelle had explained how she, along with Sven and the men from Pollux, had each gone out to survey the land. She had been given what had been deemed the safest task, Romelle intent to see if there was any soldiers in the area. She wasn't supposed to come near to them, but somehow she had been sighted and caught.

Sven hadn't been pleased with allowing Romelle to go roaming about the planet. But seeing as man power was limited to just these four, he felt hadn't had a choice in the matter.

"Yes, I know." I said out loud, my eyes still on Dealian. "And it makes me wonder how foolish you all are. Coming here with so little man power..."

"A smaller group is better for sneaking around." Sven answered for her. "The more people we bring, the greater the risk of being caught."

I could agree with that much, though I still couldn't abide the fact they had brought Romelle with them. "Do you people even know what you're doing?"

"Of course we do!" Malkom insisted, placing a hand on Dealian's shoulder. The blonde looked like he was barely restraining himself. "We're being led by the best, a real Garrison soldier."

"Sven hand picked Malkom and Dealian for this mission." Added Romelle. "They more than met his requirements." I had a feeling I was supposed to be impressed by that. I merely shrugged instead, expression dismissive.

"Is he to be our prisoner then?" Dealian wanted to know.

"Of course not!" Romelle retorted. "He's our ally..."

"Pardon me princess...but do you honestly believe you can trust a Drule?" This was Malkom who asked that.

Romelle seemed to fidget, at a loss for words. "It's Sabbath." She finally said, as if that would settle it. The two men looked unconvinced, and I wondered how much they knew about my history with Romelle. If they knew exactly what had gone down, then they weren't impressed with my involvement in it.

"Trust in your princess if not the Drule." Sven said. He I had no doubts about. I was sure he knew all that had gone down on Doom, with me, with Romelle, and with Lotor. The fact that Romelle had trusted him enough to tell him the whole story didn't exactly sit well with me. I didn't like the closeness that implied, once again feeling sick with jealousy.

"Fine." Malkom sighed. Dealian still looked like he had plenty to say, gritting his teeth as he fought to remain quiet.

"Malkom, Dealian, did you discover anything on your missions?" Romelle was clearly trying to ease us into a new topic, and though Dealian continued to glare, it worked more or less.

"Ah yes!" Malkom didn't brighten though. If anything he looked even more upset than he had when I had first walked into the cave. "I've got some data for you...Zarkon's planning to launch an army of robeasts, numbering five hundred in all."

"Five hundred?" Romelle stepped back, a hand over her mouth as she gasped. "How can he get so many?"

"They've been bringing in off worlders by the thousands." I said. "It's been going on all week, dozens upon dozens of ships arriving daily with new aliens to fight in the coliseum. Those that do well, are then taken for augmentation, and stored away in one of many fortresses located over Doom."

"We need to destroy that army before he can unleash them..." Dealian said.

"Dealian no!" Romelle protested. "They are people, just like you and me...just like Avok was...what's worse, they didn't ask to become robeasts...they are innocent..."

"And just like Avok, they have no chance of ever being restored back to their true selves!" Dealian pointed out. "They're all but mindless once transformed. They'll only know the need for violence...they're already lost..."

"It's true." I said. "There's no hope for those that have been transformed. We have to focus on saving the galaxy...even at the expense of these once innocent people..."

"Hmph." Dealian snorted, not impressed with what I had said.

"You have something to say?" I demanded, resting one hand on the blaster holstered on my belt.

"Just never thought I'd hear a Drule talk about saving the galaxy." He replied. "Not sure I believe those words coming out your mouth."

"Doesn't matter what you believe. It won't change the truth." That was Sven. "We have to warn Arus of this. That will be the first planet Zarkon targets with his new army."

"Voltron can handle it...right..." Malkom was anxious. "I mean they defeated Prince Avok, and he was supposed to be the best robeast ever..."

"There's more though..." Romelle was clearly struggling with what had been said. "Sabbath tells me they are going to make these robeasts into some kind of super powered beings...a kind of robeast that has never before been seen. And with five hundred of them attacking at once...even Voltron will have problems..."

"We have to stop them before they can transform the robeasts even further." Sven said.

"And how will we do that?" asked Malkom. But no one knew for sure.

"There's a satellite...yes?" Sven asked me. I nodded.

"But I don't know where it's located..."

"We'll find out." Sven said confidently. "One way or another we will stop them in their tracks."

"How? By attacking the fortresses?" I asked. I snorted when Malkom and Dealian nodded. "There's too many, and they're too far out. Even if you were able to gather enough explosives to say blow one up, the others would quickly go on high alert at the loss of one. At best, you'll cause a minor set back in Zarkon's plans."

"Then what do you suggest?" demanded Dealian.

I couldn't really offer them much, shrugging. "I don't know...if we knew where that satellite was, we could blow up the facility on it..."

"Well, we don't know..." But Sven interrupted Dealian.

"That's not a bad idea." Sven was nodding. "If we could somehow get there...we could take out the robeasts and the facility with one big explosion..."

"Do we even have enough explosives to do that?" Romelle wondered. Everyone looked at the crates, but by the dejected look on their faces I hazard the answer was no.

"I've got some supplies..." I said. "I've been stealing bomb making materials from the Drules for a while now..."

"How convenient..." muttered Dealian. "And you're just going to let us use the things you happened to steal against your own people?"

"You won't be attacking Drule innocents..." I began, ignoring Dealian's rude laughter. "It will be the Empire you strike against. An Empire I've turned my back on."

"And it's that easy for you?" Dealian asked. I paused, thinking it over. Once it would have been an impossible thought, the idea of aligning myself with terrorists against my own Empire. But that had been before Romelle, before I had stopped and taken a good look at what the Doom Empire was doing. Not just to Romelle, but to people like her, and to the worlds the Empire had captured.

"I know now what the Empire does is wrong. What I've done while in their employ was wrong. I'm willing-NEED to make amends now."

"Is that why you stole things?" Romelle asked, having turned to look at me. "To make amends?"

"It was a start..." I said, sighing. "I don't think I made much of a difference yet. I was merely inconveniencing the Empire. But I thought..."

"Thought what?" She gently prodded when I fell silent.

"It doesn't really matter..."

"It does to me." Romelle insisted.

"I guess I was building my way up to something bigger." I let out a hoarse chuckle, but it held no humor to it. "I wanted to do something that would be worthy of you...something that would make up for my past, and let me make a better future...maybe it's destiny that led us to meet each other again. Maybe it was just chance. I don't know. What I do know is I have the things needed to help you make a difference. To help you stop Zarkon's latest scheme..."

"Oh Sabbath..."

"Admirable words." Sven said. "If you're that willing to help us, I won't refuse. Where is your explosives?"

I've got them hidden near to Kesodonia." I answered. My new home in Druruga was simply too far from the castle, and too conspicuous a place to keep the stolen explosives. I had settled on hiding them in an abandoned mine located about ten miles from the city, Kesodonia. "All I have to do is go get them..."

"You're not going to let him go alone, are you?" Dealian and Malkom were both alarmed.

"Of course not!" A grim smile from Sven. "I don't trust the Drule as far as I could throw him." Which wouldn't be that far. "But we do need those explosives..."

"So how?"

"I'm going with him of course." Sven answered the blonde man's question.

"Let me go instead!" protested Dealian. "You're too needed for this mission..."

"Nonsense." Sven retorted. "You two would kill each other within seconds of leaving this camp. Don't argue." Added Sven as Dealian's eyes smoldered with anger. "You know I'm right..."

"What are we to do in the meantime?" Romelle asked, drawing our attention to her. "Continue our spying?"

"No...you are to remain here." I approved of what Sven was saying. "You had too close a call with those soldiers. And this time Sabbath won't be around to save you from horny Drule bastards."

"Horny Drule bastards?" repeated Malkom. His next question made Romelle flush. "Princess, what happened?"

"It's nothing." She insisted, not meeting anyone's eyes. "Sabbath killed them before they could do anything to me..."

"What were they trying to do?" Malkom received a sharp elbow to the stomach from Dealian. His eyes widened with understanding. "Ah..."

"We should have never allowed you to come here!" Dealian added. Romelle turned even redder.

"It wasn't up to you!" She snapped. "And if I wasn't here, Sven and Sabbath would have most likely killed each other."

Sven and I looked at each other, but said nothing. I had a feeling we both thought ourselves a more skilled fighter than the other. It made me curious as to who had the better training, a Garrison soldier, or a Drule. But I wasn't going to find out the answer to that question, not any time soon at least.

"We better contact Arus." Continued Romelle. "We need to prepare them for what's happening on Doom. On the off chance we fail to put an end to Zarkon's army..."

"You really think warning them will make a difference?" I asked. She shrugged.

"I don't know...but maybe they could have time to mount a suitable defense..."

"Voltron is the only defense they have that works against a robeast." I pointed out. "What little battle ships they have, all have failed miserably against Doom's."

"And you would know, wouldn't you, Sabbath." Dealian mocked. I looked at him, watching as he grew bolder. "How many attacks have you fought in? How many fleets have you commanded?"

"My hands are dirty, it's true." I didn't sigh, and I didn't blink. My gaze was level with his. "And it's because of my past experience that I know what Arus is and isn't capable of..."

"We will warn them all the same." Decided Sven, returning to the computer. Pretending to ignore the way Dealian tensed up, I walked past to peer over Sven's shoulders.

"You have an encoded signal right?" I asked him. I didn't want to risk the transmission being intercepted by Doom. The Drules would then be able to follow the signal to it's point of origin, and discover the base camp.

"Of course." Sven nodded. "And we have a range on this computer that can reach as far as Arus. But our battery power is limited, so I reckon this will be our one and only call..."

"At least from this computer." He glanced at me, eyebrows raised. "Explosives aren't the only resource I can offer you..."

"So I see..." He murmured, fingers tapping in the number code that would transmit his message to Arus. It was a voice only message, the computer too under powered to handle more than that. "Castle Control this is Sven."

"Sven, this is Castle Control, Coran speaking."

"Coran, I'll make this brief." Sven got right to the point. "Gather the Voltron Force. King Zarkon is assembling an army of robeasts. Super powered ones at that. They will number in the hundreds, and all too soon they will be sent to Arus."

"What? No!" Coran gasped.

"Our only hope is to find the satellite where the transformation facility is located." Sven continued. "I intend to find that place, and blow it up. Please have the Voltron Force on standby to aide me."

"Of course." Coran had managed to compose himself. "Arus will lend you any and all assistance that you need."

"Thank you Coran. Wish me luck. I'm going to need it..." At that, Sven ended the transmission. "Well...they know now..."

"Not that it will do them any good..." muttered Dealian, ignoring Romelle's order for him to be quiet. "If we can't find this satellite, the galaxy is finished..."

"Don't talk like that!" Snapped Romelle. "A defeatist attitude will only slow us down..."

"I'm sorry your highness..." murmured Dealian.

"I want you to stay here..." Sven began. "That means you princess. Malkom can continue to do reconnaissance. But don't put yourself at any risk. If you think you are to be caught, you leave immediately even if you've found out nothing..."

"But I...I can help!" insisted Romelle.

"The best thing you can do is to remain here." Sven told her. "I can't be worrying about you too. Not at this time...and I doubt the Drule wants to either." She flushed again, looking hurt. "Well, Drule? Shall we go now?"

"It's Sabbath, not Drule." I told him. Sven shrugged, as though that wasn't an important distinction. I sighed and nodded, watching as he retrieved his hand blaster. Romelle reached to grab my hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Be safe." She said. "Both of you." She turned to look at Sven.

"We will manage." Sven told her. Malkom actually stepped forward to hold Romelle back as she tried to follow us out of the cave. I'd cast one last look behind me, feeling uncertain about leaving her behind. I doubted Malkom and Dealian, thinking they wouldn't be able to protect Romelle as well as Sven or I could.

"Come on." Sven's voice from behind me. "Staring at her won't get the mission accomplished any sooner."

"Right." I took the lead, trusting Sven not to shoot me in the back. He was surprised, asking me why I could show my back to him. "Because." I answered with a grim smile. "If you kill me now, you'll never get your hands on those explosives you need."

"A good point." Sven agreed. "I'll just have to shoot you later." His tone was such I couldn't tell if he was serious or joking. Unease prickled along my skin.

"Try not to get yourself killed human. These parts are dangerous, especially now..."

"Yes, there are Drules about..."

"I meant the robeast." I retorted.

"Those mindless creatures can't do anywhere as much damage as a Drule can." Sven snapped.

"I think you're wrong on that..."

"Oh, robeasts can kill people and destroy whole cities...but it's nothing compared to the pain and misery, the emotional turmoil you Drule cause." I couldn't really agrue with that, just letting out a displeased growl as we walked. "I know about you." Sven continued.

"Oh? What do you know?"

"You were there when she was in trouble..." Sven wasn't finished, nor did he sound impressed. "You couldn't do anything to save her. You didn't even try in the begginning..."

My shoulders sagged, knowing he spoke true. "I was indecisive at first, yes." I agreed. "I was torn between loyalties."

"Loyalties..." Sven scoffed. "If you had any real feeling for her, you would have acted a lot sooner...you would have helped her get off of Doom."

"You think you know what happened..."

"I do." Insisted Sven.

"You don't. You're making judgments based on only one side of the story." I snapped.

"Romelle's is the only side I'm interested in." Sven answered. "It doesn't matter how many beatings you endured, how many demotions you received. In the end, you did nothing of consequence. You let her be the prince's plaything...you even let him throw her away like she was nothing more than trash...she was very lucky to survive all this..."

"Don't you think I know how lucky she is?" I turned to face him. "Don't you think it tortures me every day that I did not act sooner? That I wasn't the one to save her from Doom. From Lotor's twistedness?"

He stared at me a moment, studying my expression. "You may be torn up inside, or you may be putting on a good act. I can't say for sure." Sven shrugged. "Anymore than I can be sure of your abandonment of the Empire. Maybe they kicked you out...maybe you're looking for a way back in. But Romelle won't be that way. I'll kill you before I let you or anyone else hurt her."

"I'd kill myself before I hurt her." I retorted, the same anger and anguish still on my face.

"I almost think you mean that." Sven said, and shook his head. "You're a convincing actor..."

"It's no act." I growled.

"Yeah, right. Whatever Drule. Just be warned. I'm watching you. I may not be as quick to kill as Dealian is, but if you try to betray us, you can bet I'll put a laser in your head." Sven waved with his hand blaster for me to continue forward.

"Human..."

"We're wasting time..." Sven pointed out. "And I've no interest in anything you have to say." I growled lowly, but accepted that I would just be wasting my breath on him. He wasn't ready to trust me, might never be. What's worse, I couldn't blame him for his mistrust. I'd lead him to my hidden cache of explosives, and hope that somehow along the way, Sven would come to grudgingly acceptance of both my help and presence. I wasn't intending to go anywhere, not so long as Romelle remained on Doom.

Meh...not so fond of the ending line, but...yeah! Another chapter finished!

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Wade Wells, hi there! Hmm...I think everyone has their own way of interpreting the characters. One reason I dislike Keith fics so much, is how those authors tend to write Lotor. Especially the ones who like to have him hit/beat up Allura. But also the good guys of Voltron seemed a very much black and white issue in how they saw things. There was no gray area for them. Which is such a limiting and boring view in my opnion! XD Thanks again! I have been slow in updating cause I've been working on a major fic for my other fandom. ^^'' Ay yi yi...OSVP has consumed my life this past month and a half!


	41. Chapter 41

It wasn't the most pleasant of experiences traveling with Sven. He wasn't exactly hostile to me, nor was he friendly. He seemed content to use me, and then discard me, his sole reason for our association the explosives I had hidden. I could accept that since I wasn't exactly warming up to him either. I can't say I hated him, not completely. Not when he had rescued Romelle from planet Doom. But it was that same rescue that made me sick with jealousy, sometimes to the point I couldn't stand to look at him.

Fortunately for me, much of our travels was spent with me in the lead. Another Drule might have been uneasy to have an armed former Garrison soldier at his back, but not I. And all because I knew he needed what I had to offer. He wouldn't kill me, not without provocation, and not before he got his hands on the explosives.

We didn't do much talking, those two days we traveled towards Kesodonia. Sven was always quick to point out my failings in regard to Romelle. It was reminder I neither wanted nor needed. I tried to make him see my side of things, but he remained unsympathetic. He couldn't, or wouldn't understand the loyalty I had felt to the Empire. And still I tried to get him to accept another view point, remembering he had first been a Garrison soldier, his loyalties owed solely to the Galaxy Alliance.

"Put yourself in my shoes..." I was saying as we trudged along the muddy pits that made up the final stretch to the abandoned mines.

"I doubt very much my feet would fit." Sven countered, but neither one of us laughed at his joke.

"Sven...you were a Garrison soldier. What would you have done, if your loyalties had been tied between a captured enemy and the Alliance?"

"If that captive had been Drule, I would have had no problem with my loyalties." He retorted.

"Even if that Drule was an innocent woman?" I asked.

"There's no such thing as an innocent Drule."

I snorted in response, the disgust evident in my tone. "Now you're just being a bigot." He made a sound, it could almost be classified as a growl. "It's true." I insisted. "No race is entirely evil...just as no race is entirely good. It's the same for us Drules as it is for you humans."

"And you Sabbath...do you think yourself a good man?" Sven wanted to know.

"Not particularly." I answered breezily. "I know I've done wrong...that i've done terrible and evil things. My hands might never be clean. But we're not talking about a Drule like me. We're talking about an innocent female, some high class noble, maybe even a princess who was captured by the Alliance. They assume she can be of use to crush the Doom Empire. And they are prepared to do anything towards that goal...would you stand by and let them?"

Sven was silent for a long time. "The Alliance wouldn't really hurt an innocent woman." He said at last.

"How can you be sure?" I demanded. "They've been desperate to be rid of the Doom Empire for a long time now. Decades of animosity exist between the two factions. If an end to the war could be managed through the suffering of that innocent, don't you think your commanders would take the opportunity she offered?" He was troubled by that question. I saw that when I glanced over my shoulder, and saw his brow furrowed in concentration. "How long have you been a soldier?"

"About ten years." Sven answered. "I joined just when I turned eighteen."

"So you're twenty-eight in human years." I noted. "More than enough time to have seen some things. Good and bad where your Alliance is concerned."

"We're in a war Sabbath. Of course things aren't always so clean cut...on either side. But...I am damn well sure the Alliance had not done anything as bad as the Doom Empire has done!"

"Are you positive?" I asked, watching as he nodded. "You never heard them give the orders to kill innocents? Never seen a Garrison soldier rape a civilian, torture and torment innocents, rob and steal from those they were protecting?" He looked uncomfortable at that. "What is it Sven? What has struck a chord with you?"

"Sometimes...sacrifices have to be made." He said at last.

"Sacrifices...And that means what exactly?" I asked. His look was evasive. "Sven, what is it? What did they do? What did you see?" I had ground to a halt, refusing to go one step further until he answered me.

"You're aware the Alliance once had a no Drule left alive policy..." He finally whispered. I nodded, expression guarded to hide how I felt about that. "What you may not know is...Garrison never abandoned it. Unofficially of course. Our commanders strongly believe the best Drule is a dead Drule...most times I'm inclined to agree."

"Have you ever killed an a Drule civilian?" I wanted to know.

"Not I. But I know people who have." He looked away. "Some even took pleasure in the act." He turned defensive then. "They were acting out of grief, out of a need to make the Drules pay for what they did to their friends, their family, their world..."

"Revenge doesn't make it right." I retorted. "There are thousands of Drules who have never fought in the war, people who have sat back and..."

"Sat back and enjoyed the rewards reaped in by the Empire's invasion!" snapped Sven. "Doesn't that make them just as guilty?"

"Maybe a little.." I was uncertain. "But it doesn't compare to those who actively went out and killed."

"They keep slaves...they do nothing to talk out against what their King does..." Sven argued.

"You think Zarkon and Lotor would allow the people of the Empire to actively revolt against them?" I laughed them, bitter amusement in my voice. "They'd kill and make examples of those who tried."

"But it's better to have tried than to do nothing at all!" Sven said.

"And did you do nothing to stop those who decided to seek revenge on the Drule innocents?" I demanded. His jaw clenched, but Sven said nothing. "Your silence speaks volumes to me soldier." With that I turned my back on him, and resumed walking. After a few seconds, I heard the sound of him following.

"I wasn't content to do nothing." Sven finally said. "It's the main reason I tried out for the special task force that was going to be sent to Arus. I couldn't take the indiscriminate killing..." Now it was my turn to be quiet. "It wouldn't have stopped the killing, not right away. But the hope was that the legend of Arus' super weapon was true. And that with that weapon we'd finally be able to stop Doom."

I thought I knew how the story went, but Sven surprised me with his next confession. "Did you know we were supposed to take the robot from Arus...by force if necessary?"

"No..."

"It's true...we were sent to revive the legend, but not for Arus' sake..."

"What changed then?" I asked, and Sven sighed.

"We met Princess Allura...saw the plight of her people first hand...We gave back their hope in finding Voltron...we couldn't bear to extinguish it, even if it meant going against Garrison's orders."

"I'm sure Garrison wasn't happy with that." I said, spying the entrance to the mine shaft in the distance.

"They weren't." Agreed Sven. "But there was little they could do without damaging their reputation in the eyes of the worlds that made up the alliance. And really? They couldn't afford to split their focus between Arus and the Doom Empire. If we had fought against each other, Doom surely would have crushed both the Alliance and Voltron. It was a lose lose situation as far as Garrison was concerned."

"In a way, it sounds like you had decision much like I had." I said. "You had to choose between the loyalty to Garrison, and the people of Arus."

"Yeah...you're right." Sven agreed. "But...and this is the important thing...I chose to do the right thing, the only thing I could do."

My face burned with embarrassment at that recrimination. "You've never hesitated, never knew doubt?" I asked, then didn't let him answer. "I was filled with it...to the point I could do nothing. I couldn't even fight on Pollux, knowing what was happening was wrong. A lot of good that knowledge did Romelle..."

"You regret it..."

"Of course I do!" I was passionate in my response. "There's so much that could have been avoided if I had just helped her escape before we got to Doom. Hell, maybe if I had warned her before the Voltron Force arrived on Pollux, events could have played at differently. Doom would have never gotten to betray Pollux..."

"Romelle tells me Lotor claimed her father was planning to betray Doom as well. That King Cova had the ambition to rule the Denubian Galaxy."

"That doesn't make it right what Doom did. To him, his daughter, or to his people!" I retorted. We were almost to the mine shaft, and I reached to take a light disc off my belt. "Romelle was innocent in all that...she was just a pawn...her father's and Doom's..."

"Yeah..." Sven almost sounded sad in his agreement. "Is that it?" he asked, and I nodded.

"You gonna shoot me now?"

"I haven't decided." Sven said. "I still don't trust you, but you make me think...in ways I am not comfortable with."

"The same can be said about me and the situation that surrounded Romelle..." I whispered, and together we entered the mines. The things I had stolen from the military wasn't located near the front of the mines but much deeper inside. The light I carried barely made a difference in the dark, casting a green stream directly ahead of us. In the darkness we could hear the skittering of some small creatures, but nothing lunged out at us.

"So...you really were serious about causing trouble for Doom." Sven said, when we reached the back, my light falling on the explosives and other oddities I had taken from the Drule soldiers.

"Of course." Was my answer. "It's the only purpose I had left..."

"Had?" Sven questioned sharply.

"I never expected to see Romelle again." I knelt down by a half filled crate. It held mainly the materials needed to make several bombs, each of different types. I began filling the crate up the rest of the way, determined to bring as much as I could carry back to the base camp of the humans.

"Does seeing Romelle change your purpose?" Sven wanted to know. I nodded.

"I can do right by her now..." I said, handling the items carefully. "I can begin to truly make amends..." Suddenly I heard the hum of his weapon heating up, the sound making me stiffen in surprise. I didn't turn though, sure he would shoot me if I moved.

"I won't let you use her..." He hissed. "Not just to ease some guilt of yours."

"It's more than just guilt." I said, my voice calm though I was not. "I...I care for her..."

"She's had enough of your kind of care." Sven retorted.

"You're protective of her...so am I..."

"Don't compare me to you." Sven snapped, his voice racketing up a notch in anger.

I didn't apologize. "What are you going to tell Romelle if you shoot me?" That got him to be silent. "Why does it bother you so...my wanting to help Romelle...?"

"Is that why you're doing all this? To help her? When you wouldn't before...?"

"What other reason could there be?" I wondered.

"You tell me." He ordered.

"Do I make you insecure soldier?"

"Of course not!" He scoffed.

"Then put down the weapon." I told him.

"You'll hurt Romelle if I do..." But he sounded just a tad uncertain.

"I'll do nothing of the sort." I was firm, but so was he.

"Just seeing you hurts her. Don't you think she's not reminded of everything she's been through every time she looks at you?" I had no counter to that, and fought not to shrug my soldiers. "You're a burden Sabbath, a painful reminder...one she doesn't want, and doesn't need..."

"Did Romelle tell you that?" I asked.

"She doesn't need too!" insisted Sven.

"So you're making decisions for her? Thinking you know what's best for her?"

"Damn straight I do!" I couldn't help it, I growled in response.

"You know nothing...and will continue to be ignorant until you sit down and ask Romelle what she really feels...what she really needs."

"She's too kind hearted to tell me to kill you." Sven retorted. "She...she feels a connection to you, thinks you two survived a nightmare together..."

"We did!"

"You can't compare what she went through to what happened to you!" Sven snarled.

"It was a different kind of pain, but we suffered together..." I paused, not meaning to goad him. But the words came out regardless. "You remind me of Lotor. He didn't understand our connection either. Would have killed me because of it..."

"I wish he had killed you." Muttered Sven.

"Pity for you, I'm still alive." I sighed then, feeling so tired. "If you're going to kill me, do it now..." But the laser never came, the weapon continuing to hum as Sven stood behind me.

"What will you do...to make amends?" He asked instead of shooting me.

"Well, to start, help you make the bomb that's going to blow up that satellite."

"I meant after..." I really didn't know, and he sounded exasperated by it. "You won't be able to stay on Doom...it'll be dangerous, even for you."

"True."

"But don't think you'll be coming with us when this is all over and done with." Sven added.

I almost smirked then. "That's not up to you, but to Romelle."

He cursed then, but the charge of his weapon powered down. "She'll let you come with us to planet Pollux. All because of some twisted affection for you. Sabbath...if you're really sincere about doing right by her...you'll walk away when this is all over and done with..."

"I have nowhere to go, nowhere to be but at her side..."

He cursed again. "I'll find a place for you...somewhere far away from Pollux and Doom. Just...just don't ruin her life any further...please..." Sven sounded almost desperate then. I was finally free to look at him, confidant I wouldn't be shot. We locked eyes, Sven's upset. I wondered how lost my expression looked then as I whispered.

"If she asks me to stay...to come with her to Pollux...I won't be able to refuse...I...I'll never be able to refuse her again..."

"Damn you." Sven ran a hand through his hair in agitation.

"I think I've been damned long before I met you." I muttered, and lifted up the heavy crate. It was almost more than I could manage, and Sven moved to help me carry it. It eased some of my physical burden, but not the burden of my heart. I knew what I had said to him was true. I wouldn't be able to walk away from Romelle this time. Not if she wanted me with her. I didn't know what to hope for, a part of me desperately wanting to stay with Romelle. A part of me felt I was being a selfish Drule, staying with a girl whose only memories of me and my world were colored with torment.

What could I offer Romelle really? I feared it was as Sven said. I would be a constant source of pain, my face, my very being reminding her of the victimization she had endure at Lotor and the other Drules' hands. Could we ever escape the memories of our past, or would the pain the abuse we had gone through forever color our interactions. I feared it would, and wondered if Romelle would be strong enough to turn her back on me.

I was gonna make this chapter longer...and have included when they returned to the base camp with the crate of materials...but ultimately I think it would serve better to make that a separate chapter. And I hope this chapter doesn't suck...*nervous about it.*

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Wade Wells, thank you! As for Keith, well it depends on what you meant by "my Keith." Do you mean my Keith as in the one you write, or my Keith as in Keith in general? I'm not really familiar with how you write Keith personally, so i can't say if I would or would not like him under you care. But Keith in general, both in the fandom and in the cartoon...nah...never been a fan. Even as a child, I rooted for Lotor to win. I remember reading on a now gone Lotor shrine, that it stated most Lotor fans were Keith fans when they were little children. That was never me. Even as a child, I liked Lotor. I blame him for giving me a kidnapping fetish. Back then I was too young to know what he wanted to do with the princess, I just knew I was very anxious to have him suceed in running off with Allura. I was very happy when I did get on the internet back in 1998, and discover there was others who felt the same way! I had thought I'd be the only Lotor Allura fan! XD

I've been slow on updating, trying to stretch them out because for the last month and a half I haven't been working on any Voltron fics. Been consumed with this one Valkyrie Profile fic. But I'm back to Voltron now. Been rereading Lusting Effects so I can finish A Pregnant pause hopefully. I still need to sit down and watch more of the Voltron episodes for research purposes for this fic. I want to make sure I'm not forgetting any key events to detail. Another reader had pointed out I forgot about that space cannon thing...which I totally had...but hopefully I can fix that mistake. But really a lot of where I am is gonna be original content as they get back to Pollux, and I have to establish and advance relationships. Wish me luck!


	42. Chapter 42

It would take another two days for Sven and I to return to the base camp. It was well into the evening when the cave's entrance came into sight, the two of us struggling with our heavy burden. The sight of the cave made me want to push onwards, but Sven whispered urgently for me to stop. Surprised I did as he asked, looking curiously at him.

"What is it?" A bit paranoid, I looked around wondering if he had somehow noticed something amiss. But my hearing which is much sharper than a human's, picked up no out of place sound. My eyes could see nothing that stood out against the dark landscape of Doom.

"Didn't mean to alarm you." But he didn't sound that apologetic. "But...I wanted to ask, no beg you...please...Walk away from Romelle."

"Sven..."

"Please...I never thought I would ask a Drule a favor, let alone beg one...but for her I will. It's for the best...you know it is...Leave now..." He implored me. "She need never see you again. You'll just...disappear from her life. A memory best forgotten."

I didn't like that, and let that show on my face. "You'll let her think I abandoned her? Again?"

"Better you fail her now, then later..." Sven said.

"I won't fail her." I insisted. "Not ever again."

"You're failing her right now!" He snapped. "She's trying to move on from what has happened. She won't be able to do that if you're in her life..."

"And you think running wild on Doom without a concrete plan is a better way of moving on?" I demanded.

"She's coping in the only way she knows how..." He defended.

"That doesn't excuse bringing her into danger!" I snapped. "She should be at home, on Pollux...not here on Doom."

"I intend to bring her back to Pollux as soon as this is over..."

"You don't even know where that satellite is." I pointed out. "You wouldn't even have the explosives needed to destroy a facility of that size without me. You're all aimless. You may have come here with the best intentions, but that will only get you so far."

"You want me to admit we needed help?" Sven's expression hardened. "Fine, I can do that. We were just barely managing till you came along..."

"That's not enough to satisfy me." I retorted. "I can't walk away...not so long as she's here. Someone has to make sure she remains safe..."

"You think I can't keep her safe?" He was insulted now. "I managed just fine in keeping her away from you Drules after Lotor left her for dead in the pit of skulls."

"Yes, you did." I acknowledge. 'But your luck can only hold out for so long. For that matter, so can mine..."

"Walk away Sabbath..." Sven hissed. "Walk away now..."

I shook my head. "There's nothing you can say or do to get me to do that. You'll have to kill me first, and you already proved you won't do that."

"Don't get overconfident over my moment of indecision back in the mines!" Snapped Sven. "I'm still prepared to do what I have to if you prove a threat to her..."

"Just keep walking." I ordered, prepared to take the burden of the crate from him. He grumbled, but began to move with me then swore. I wondered why, ready to drop the crate and draw a weapon when a voice whispered loudly.

"Sven! Sabbath!"

This time I joined Sven in cursing, turning to glance over my shoulder. A gold haired vision clad in pink and white clothing was running towards us, a relived look on her face. Behind Romelle came Malkom and Dealian, both men running to catch her. She lifted a hand in greeting, eyes sparkling with excitement. It dimmed down some when she saw the stony expression on both my face and Sven's.

"What are you doing out here?" hissed Sven. "Why are you not in the cave?"

"I..."

"I told you to stay put!" He continued. "You can't risk being seen...none of us can!"

"It's no less dangerous than what you and Sabbath have done!" She countered. Sven opened his mouth to retort, but I talked over him.

"Save the reprimands and arguing for later. We shouldn't remain outside any longer than necessary."

"You're right Sabbath." Agreed Romelle, and Sven grunted. All five of us hurried as fast as possible to the cave. Sven and I were slowed down by the heavy crate, but we managed to get inside without being seen. It was with great relief that we set the crate down on the center of the blankets, Romelle and the two men from Pollux coming over to peer inside the wooden box.

"Wow...there's so much to choose from!" exclaimed Romelle, clasping her hands together.

"This is way more than the amount we had brought with us." Added Malkom.

"Please tell me Romelle stayed put for most of the four days we were gone." Sven wasn't content to let the issue drop, and neither was I. We both looked at Dealian who had been appointed to watched over Romelle while Malkom went out on his reconnaissance mission.

Dealian was hesitating. "For the most part yes..."

"The most part?" Sven's tone was sharp.

"I didn't run into any more soldiers, if that's what you're worried about!" snapped Romelle, hands now on her hips. "But I was getting cabin fever just waiting here..."

"The princess went out every morning and every evening to search for you." Explained Dealian. "We never went out further than the first outcropping of rocks."

"We always stayed in sight of the cave entrance." Added Romelle. Sven made an exasperated sound, but it was I who spoke.

"That was one risk too many. You're very lucky nothing happened."

"What about you?" She demanded. "You two were gone for four, nearly five days. Anything could have happened, especially once you were bogged down with so big a crate."

"It's a risk we were willing to take." I said, then smirked. "Besides...if we came across any patrols, I was prepared to tell them Sven is my slave and is assisting me on a hunt."

"Slave? Me?" sputtered Sven, sounding angry. "I'll never be a slave again. Least of all yours!"

"Not even to save your life?" I asked. He hesitated, his expression turning into a scowl. "It wouldn't have been for real. It would have only been to keep up appearances. Besides..." My tone was lofty, I was almost casual as I said the following. "I've never kept slaves for myself."

"Like I'd believe that." Dealian scoffed.

"I don't care what you believe. It's the truth." I snapped. I wasn't about to go into my personal history and tell them about my mother and life in the brothel. Let them think what they wanted, I knew the truth and so did Romelle.

Malkom was digging through the crate, pulling out vials of chemicals needed for the bombs. He seemed to want no part of the conversation we were having, more focused on getting the things needed to start constructing a bomb. Occasionally he would murmur something in his native language, sounding excited.

"Got everything we need?" Romelle asked him, and he nodded.

"Good." Sven said, satisfied. "Did you find out anything when you went out to spy?"

"Yes." He slowly set down a vial of reddish orange fluid. "I ventured near to one of the slave camps."

"Isn't that too risky for a human?" I asked.

"It was...but it paid off." Malkom gave us a grim smile. "It's all anyone could talk about. Especially the soldiers. The tournaments are over with, the robeasts amassed and ready to be transported to the satellite."

"They're transporting them already?" I asked alarmed. That didn't give us much time to work with.

"The ships will be leaving first thing tomorrow." Continued Malkom, and gave us a grave look. "You made it back just in time..."

"Can we have the bombs ready in time?" wondered Romelle.

"If we work through the night making them..." I assured her.

"Doesn't matter if we get the bombs made if we can't get aboard one of those ships." Sven pointed out.

"Yeah...about that..." Dealian moved away from the crate, walking over to a bundle underneath one of the blankets. "While you were gone, we were coming up with a plan of our own..."

"Oh?"

We watched as Dealian shifted the blankets, revealing what looked like a dead alien's body. It was hollow inside, and I realized it was a kind of costume. It was made to resemble a robeast, and could have come from any of a hundred worlds that Doom had been to recently.

"The princess was busy putting this together for the last three days." Dealian said, shaking out the costume.

"I sewed until I thought my fingers would fall off." Added Romelle shyly. I looked closely at her hands, seeing she wore flesh colored bandages on several of her fingers.

"And what's the point of this?" Sven asked, frowning.

"We thought one of us could sneak onboard a ship pretending to be a robeast. Once at the facility, we could then destroy it..." explained Dealian.

"Destroy it how?" I wanted to know. "You didn't have enough explosives to do that..."

"I would have thought of something once I arrived on the satellite." Dealian said, more than a tad defensive. I couldn't help snorting in response, sure Dealian would have succeeded in only getting himself killed.

"How much training you have?" I asked out loud.

"I've had enough." He retorted.

"That doesn't tell me much." Was my reply. "These aren't just Drules you were about to tangle with, but men and women trained by the Empire. Your best probably won't ever be enough to deal with that kind of situation."

Dealian bristled, dropping the costume and stepping towards me. "Listen you..."

"He's right." Sven said. "You aren't equipped to deal with the Drules. Neither of you are." He smiled, but it was humorless. "But a Garrison soldier is..."

"What are you saying Sven?" Romelle asked with a gasp. "You're not going to..."

"I have to Romelle." He insisted. "I'm better equipped to do this than any one else here, maybe except for Sabbath." And he didn't trust me for this important a mission. Romelle realized that mistrust, looking unhappy as she looked between us both.

"It's a suicide run..." She pointed out. "Whoever goes most likely won't be coming back..."

"I've dealt with bad odds before." Sven answered. "I got you off of Doom, didn't I?"

"Not without the loss of all those men who tried to come with us." Romelle reminded him. "They lost their lives..."

"They GAVE their lives..." he corrected her, walking over to the costume. "So we could escape..."

"And you would have their sacrifice be for nothing!" She cried out.

"It's not for nothing." He snapped back, picking up the costume. It would fit him with room to spare, and had a seperate head to go over his. "They would be happy if through their sacrifice I-we did something to save the galaxy from the Drules."

"But..."

"I'm going to do it Romelle." Sven said, trying on the head for size. "Any more talk on this would be wasting all of our time. And we don't have much left. We have to get those bombs ready before morning."

"He's right princess." Malkom spoke up. "We have to use our time wisely if we're going to stop Zarkon's new army."

Romelle's eyes looked wet, her lower lip trembling. She abruptly turned, and moved to run out of the cave, but I caught hold of her arm. At the same instant Sven shouted, his voice muffled from inside the costume's head.

"Romelle!" She froze, but didn't turn to look at either of us. "You can't go out. We need your hands to help us with the bombs..."

"Romelle.." I was whispering to her. "Remember what Avok told you. The good of one..."

"Can't outweigh the good of many." She whispered it with me. "Yes. I understand." She turned then, her expression fierce. "But I don't have to like it!"

"No one is asking you to." I told her.

"Come on..." Sven said, having pulled off the head. "Malkom and I will tell the rest of you what to do. If you follow our instructions carefully, you won't blow us all up."

"That's a vote of confidence if ever I heard one." Grumbled Dealian. I nearly laughed in agreement with the blonde man's words.

"Sabbath, do you have any experience with explosives?" Sven wanted to know.

"I know enough to make a few bombs." I told him, and he nodded in satisfaction.

"Good...then work with Dealian. Malkom you help Romelle..." And Sven would work alone. Each of us would go to a separate corner of the cave, a generous amount of the crate's supplies divided among us. We'd work near tirelessly, hours going by as each one of worked on making enough explosives and bombs for Sven to carry. The smaller explosives would be strapped to his body via belts, while the larger bombs would be inside a backpack. The robeast costume was big enough that Sven could fit his pack inside it, and still move around unhindered.

As the morning began to near on Doom, I looked up, seeing Romelle approach Sven. She was carrying a cup, steam lifting off it's brown surface. "Sven..." She said softly. "I'd wish you'd rest. Even for just an hour..."

"There's no time for that." Sven retorted, nodding his thanks as he took the coffee from Romelle.

"She's right you know. I called out to them. "You won't be as effective if you don't get some rest."

"I'll sleep on the ship." Sven retorted, looking annoyed that I had put my two cents in.

"What if the satellite is close enough to Doom that you don't have time to sleep?" Asked Romelle. She was chewing on her bottom lip, betraying how worried she was with that nervous habit. "Or what if you oversleep?"

"I won't." Sven assured her. "I know what rides on this plan. I won't let anything stop me...certainly not a little thing called sleep." He tried to smile at her, but Romelle wasn't reassured. It made him sigh, Sven setting aside his cup to take hold of her right hand. "Romelle, I promise you I will succeed."

"Promise me you'll come back." She urged him, and was met with silence. "Sven?"

"Sabbath..." Sven spoke to me instead. "Promise me you'll get them off the planet if I don't come back? Get them all off?"

"Even Dealian?" I pretended to groan but no one was amused. "I promise."

"We're not leaving without you!" Romelle was alarmed.

"I might die Romelle. I don't want you to die here on Doom, or end up in that bastard's hands again." Sven told her. She jerked her hand free, visibly upset. "You have to promise me. Promise you won't fight Dealian and Malkom. Promise me that you'll leave Doom together..."

Romelle didn't look like she was ready to promise anything, and Sven sighed. "Sabbath, I'm trusting you to get them off this world. But I also trust that you'll consider what I told you back in the mines..."

"What did you tell him?" Romelle wanted to know.

"It's nothing to concern yourself over with." Sven retorted, and her temper flared.

"Stop keeping secrets from me! I have a right to know!"

"Not about this..." Sven insisted. I kept silent. I was torn on whether she really had the right, since what Sven referred to affected both Romelle and myself. But I knew to bring it to Romelle's attention was to put an awful burden on her. She might very well ask me to come to Pollux in response to learning what Sven had asked of me. "Sabbath...promise me..."

"I already made my mind up about that." I told him. "Besides...it's not up to me anymore..."

He and Romelle both frowned, but for different reasons. "Damn stubborn Drule!" Sven muttered, and turned back to the bomb he had almost completed. It was the largest of the five made, and would do the most damage.

"You're no different than he is!" announced Romelle, and before Sven could stop her, she ran towards the cave entrance. He swore and started to stand, but I waved him back.

"Let me..." He didn't look happy, but Sven didn't argue as I moved to chase after Romelle. I'd find her just a few feet from the cave entrance, the princess crouching down on her knees. She was drawing circles in the dirt, and what looked to be angry tears were trailing down her cheeks.

"What did Sven talk to you about?" She demanded without looking up.

I hesitated, moving to kneel down besides her. "It's not important." I said at last.

"It sounded important to me." She retorted.

"It's something that's between me and Sven. I won't betray his confidence." Romelle made a scoffing sound at that. "We should go back inside..."

"What will you do when this is all over?" Romelle asked instead.

"I don't know." It was technically true, my ultimate destination unknown. I both wanted to and didn't want to go to Pollux with Romelle.

"It'll be dangerous on Doom. They'll be looking for someone to blame on what happened." Continued Romelle. "But more than that, this war will end eventually. Voltron will find a way to crush the Doom Empire. And when that happens..."

"The planet will most likely fall into chaos." I finished for her. "At least until the Alliance can set up a new government."

"People will die before that happens. There will be riots..."

"I'll manage..."

"You were a prominent figure in the Empire's military. If the citizens of Doom don't come after you, the Alliance most likely will..." She whispered.

"They won't catch me. I won't let them." I said confidently.

"I don't want to run that risk." Romelle confessed. She gave me a sidelong glance, fingers still circling in the dirt. "Will you come back to Doom after you see us off from the planet?"

"Most likely yes. I have nowhere else to go." I admitted.

"Surely that's not true!" Romelle protested. "There's hundreds of thousands worlds that exist in the Denubian Galaxy."

"But they are either part of the Doom Empire, or worlds that would not welcome a Drule." I sighed then. "I've gone over my options carefully...there's no other place that would accept me."

She went silent at that, though her one hand reached up to brush angrily at her wet eyes. "It's not fair..." She said after a few minutes.

"Life seldom is." I said tiredly. I started to stand, ready to lead her back into the cave. But she grabbed my arm, and pulled me off balance besides her. "Romelle!"

"Sabbath...you could...you could stay on Pollux." It was what I had been both hoping and dreading she would say. "There would be no reason for you to leave after you escort us there..."

Sven would argue that there was a dozen reasons why I should do the exact opposite of what Romelle offered. But I didn't dare bring his name into this. "Romelle..."

"I could grant you safe asylum. Between that and your efforts against Doom...we could make a case for your freedom against the Alliance..." She looked hopefully at me.

"Your people would most likely never accept me in their lives."

"I'd make them accept you!" I almost laughed then, shaking my head.

"You can't force acceptance!"

"Well...you're right...but I could help them to come to a better understanding...let them see that not all Drules are bad..." She said, staring at me.

"I doubt one Drule will be able to change their mind. Especially when that Drule is me..."

"Maybe...maybe not. We won't know until we try!" Romelle insisted. "Oh please...please say you'll come live on Pollux!" When I said nothing, she continued. "What do you have holding you to Doom?"

"Nothing." I whispered. It was the truth too. All my ties were severed, and all I had left was a job and a home I didn't much care about. My life had become all but meaningless without Romelle by my side.

Romelle smiled in response to my whisper, and pulled me to stand. "Well, then! It's decided! You'll come live on Pollux!"

"What will your brother think..." I asked, no longer offering her resistance.

"I'll make him understand." She was confidant then. "I'll make them all understand!" She squeezed both of my hands in hers. "And you'll help me..." Her eyes were no longer wet with tears, Romelle looking sure of the path she had laid out. I could only smile weakly, wondering what disasters would await us on Pollux. But the more pressing matter was telling Sven what we had decided. The thought almost made me weak in the knees, I actually stumbled as I allowed Romelle to lead me back into the cave.

Sven looked up at our return, but otherwise said nothing. His hands kept busy on the bomb, checking it over for imperfections. Romelle let go of my hand, and nervously approached Sven. They'd hold a hushed conversation, and save for a few angry looks, Sven ignored me. I didn't think it was over that easily, but there really was no time to argue. We had to get the bombs packed, and the explosives strapped to Sven's body.

Once Sven was suited up, the five of us would leave the cave. The fortress I had tracked the robeast to a few days ago was our destination, and the area around it was crowded with heavily armed soldiers. The Drules had the robeasts in a line up, the cankerous monsters walking single file. Anytime a robeast tried to break free of the line, several Drules would shoot. The blasts were of a low setting, meant to stun not kill.

"There they are..." Sven's muffled voice whispered.

"Are you sure about this Sven?" Romelle asked, voice a soft hiss. "It's not to late to back out..."

"But it is too late to come up with a new plan." He retorted. The head of the robeast costume seemed to bob, Sven was giving a signal to Malkom and Dealian. An unsuspecting Romelle would be grabbed by them, the two holding her back as Sven moved to merge with the line of robeasts.

Romelle looked very much like she was going to cry out, and I put my finger to her lips. "Quiet." My voice was a harsh whisper. "If you call out now, you'll not only ruin the plan, you'll most likely get Sven killed. Do you want that?"

Her defiance faded, Romelle seeming to sag in Malkom and Dealian's hold. "No..."

"All we can do now is pray for his success." I added, and Dealian snorted.

"Didn't think Drules prayed."

"We have Gods, the same as you do." I retorted.

"Thought you were a bunch of heathen savages." Was his reply.

"You thought wrong." It was Romelle who spoke. "Let us return to the cave. We will pray...and maybe we can educate each other about the Gods we worship and our beliefs."

Dealian didn't look thrilled at the prospect of learning anything about a Drules' religion, scowling angrily. Malkom nodded, ever respectful of the princess' wishes. Together we would return to the cave, and we would indeed pray. And pray often. There wasn't much else to do, save to hold vigil in the hopes Sven would return. Not even talking about our differences could help pass the time, all of us on edge and wondering if Sven would succeed.

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Feli3, Happy belated birthday! Hope it was a good one for you! Glad the new chapter could play a part in making the day a little brighter for you. :) And thank you! I'm very honored that you like this story so much! Especially since it's not your normal pairing. It's very heartening to hear! I'm planning to develop more the relationships between Romelle and her two guys but I've been slacking off something terrible about doing research. ^^'' And now I have new games to distract me. X_X

Zandee, oh my! That would be something to see! A female Drule could help Sven get over some of his fear and mistrust of the Drules! XD


	43. Chapter 43

We would enter into a period of near endless waiting, desperate for any news. Of Sven, of the satellite, even of the Voltron Force. We were cut off from off world communications, unable to contact Arus or even Sven. Even if we had had the means to put out a message, the security around planet Doom was upped, a net going around all incoming and outgoing messages.

I would go out often those first days of waiting. I wouldn't go far, my intent to always return the same day I left. It was a self imposed limit I did not mind, and in truth I felt uncertain that Dealian and Malkom would be able to protect Romelle if a real problem should crop up. I was only at ease when I could personally lay eyes on Romelle, and yet I had to leave in order to find out what was going on outside the cave.

I'd travel to all the sites of interest that lay in both directions of the cave. That included my camp site, which had been ransacked and ruined. Something had triggered the traps I had laid out, many of the remaining items knocked over and broken. What hadn't been damaged had been carried off, and I realized what must have happened. A creature, perhaps several, had stumbled across the camp and it's traps. The damage they had done in attempting to escape, plus my unexplained absence surely sent a message to Lady Sarada's agents.

The message of course was that something had to have happened to me. It was over a week since I had last checked in, and with the state of my camp, there'd be little doubt that I had survived an encounter with the very beast I had been sent to hunt. They probably assumed the robeast had killed me, as it had done so many other exterminators. And with my assumed death they had gone into scavenger mode, taking from the camp whatever was still intact, some of my belongings having been loaned out by Lady Sarada herself.

My assumed death would make me the fifth exterminator to be killed by this particular robeast. The numbers were such that it would cause the other hunters to hesitate in taking this job. But eventually someone would. And when that happened, I had to be far from this area. Or else explanations would be needed. Explanations I had no time for. Nor did I care if they thought me dead. It would make things easier when I left Doom, no one actively looking for a dead man.

There would be the issue of my money, but I had always thought in advance where that was concerned. My accounts weren't in my real name, secreted away in off planet holdings. I'd still have access to my funds, so I wouldn't be a complete burden on Pollux. I was still uncertain about the life I could have on Pollux, regardless of the reassurances Romelle tried to give me.

I wasn't just a Drule, once I had been a high ranking soldier. I may not have been the one to give the orders to betray Pollux, but my presence during that ordeal had been felt. There had to be those that had survived, those that would remember me. Those that would have seen me escorting their princess about, maybe even seen my inaction in the castle courtyard. I hadn't killed any one on Pollux, but then I hadn't done anything to save them either. That damned me as surely as if I had taken lives that day.

The people of Pollux might have been more welcoming to me if I hadn't once been the loyal lap dog of the Doom Empire. Or maybe they would have shunned any Drule, regardless of their ties. I cannot say for sure. If Dealian was anyone to judge the people of Pollux by, then many of them would hold grudges against me. Even a week later, Dealian was still hostile under the best of circumstances, always watching me with narrowed eyes. Trust between us would not come easy, no matter what his princess wished, or I attempted to do.

Truthfully, Dealian's mistrust was such that I was surprised he allowed me to leave the cave unescorted. But Romelle needed guarding, and a human companion would only hinder me in my travels. Especially when my quest for information brought me near to the closest fortress, the massive building now silent and all but empty. The robeasts has long been taken from the fortress, this and similar ones located across the planet. Only the bare minimum of a soldier's squad were now stationed inside the building, the rest of the men sent elsewhere.

I wouldn't be able to get into the fortress. I no longer had such authority. My uniform, bearing the insignias of Lady Sarada's exterminators, allowed me to walk unmolested past the fortress. Everyone assumed I had business this far out. They'd never dream I was hunting for information.

Earlier, I had gone back to the camp ruins, searching out the remains of my broken equipment. Most of it had been explosives and weapons, but there was even bits needed to cobble together a working communicator. It was keyed into the military's frequency, but it had a short distance range. I'd lurk in the shadows of the fortress' outside walls, fiddling with the control dial in order to pick up on communication inside the building.

I wasn't always successful. Those first days Sven was gone, there wasn't much being said about Zarkon's army. The soldiers were glad to have the robeasts gone from the premise. So many of those creatures packed in tight quarters had made them uneasy. They did not envy the Drules who had accompanied the robeasts to the facility. I would learn a name during such talk, the satellite at last becoming known.

Nuclon.

It wasn't familiar to me. It had come into Doom's possession sometime after my dismissal from the military. It was far out in the galaxy, on the edge of the Empire's borders. It's location was meant to keep suspicion from it, the facility being built upon it. But the power source of the facility came from elsewhere, nuclear radiation being gathered from hundreds of worlds. Spoken in hushed whispers was the amount of lazon that had been mined for this operation. A staggering amount, slaves worked to the death to mine out enough to empower as many robeasts as Zarkon had decided upon.

This was surely the biggest operation Doom had engaged in over twenty years time. The amount of energy gathered, the amount of slaves who had died digging out lazon, not to mention the amount of alien gladiators who had fought to the death. All here to unknown amount of numbers. And all to create what would be a near invincible army for Zarkon to use against planet Arus and it's defender.

Of course, when chaos broke out on Satellite Nuclon, it was all the soldiers could talk about. Many were relieved they hadn't been chosen to work at the facility, people marveling at the close calls they had had. But none of them knew for sure what had happened on Nuclon, just that the facility had been bombed. More lives were lost in the ensuing explosions, only a few Drules managed to evacuate. The rest of the soldiers, and the five hundred robeasts slated for augmentation, all died in the bombings.

In no time flat, word had reached King Zarkon, the Drule absolutely infuriated. He would send salvage crews to Nuclon, intent on seeing what of the facility and it's power reserves could be saved. Accompanying them would be one of Haggar's robeast, augmented to the normal levels of power. The robeast was an added precaution, meant to seek out and destroy any would be threats.

And a threat did come, the Voltron Force heading out to satellite Nuclon. They would be intent on finishing the work Sven had started, eager to attack the facilities' back up reactors that were spread out on the satellite's surface. But before they could do that, they would have to engage Doom's robeast. I heard it was a most spectacular fight, both sides putting their all into the battle. But in the end it made no difference, Voltron would kill the robeast and move on to devastate the satellite.

With several strategic strikes, the satellite was destroyed. The stored reserves of nuclear energy exploding upon the impact of blazing sword's strikes. The ensuing explosions lit up the sky, and word whispered that for several hundred light years in all directions, one could see the display. It lightened night into day for the worlds' closest to satellite Nuclon, and some mistook the rumbles for the sound of thunder storms.

We did not see or hear any of this on Doom. The planet was simply too far away from Nuclon to feel even a ripple from it's destruction. It was only the knowledge I had gleaned from the spying on the soldiers' conversation that allowed us to know just what had gone down. Not even Doom's newscast talked of the destruction of Nuclon. It seemed the King wanted no one to know of Doom's latest disgrace.

It got riskier to stay on Doom. More soldiers were being sent out on patrols, bringing in anything or anyone who looked suspicious. It became difficult to leave the cave, and I dare say we had a few close calls that almost caused us to leave our hiding spot. Frankly, I knew we should have left long ago if not for Romelle's pleading. She was determined to wait for Sven, and reasoned he would not be able to find us if we broke up the base camp to move somewhere else.

I humored her, but as the days passed the odds for Sven returning began to look less and less good. Even Dealian and Malkom were giving up hope on the man. And yet none of us were ready to try and force Romelle to accept that her hero might be dead. But neither did we try to fill her with hope, the three of us sharing solemn looks and knowing glances.

It was fast going on two weeks since I had met up with Romelle and her terrorist faction. Two weeks of living in this cold cave, existing on meager rations. Tempers were coming close to snapping, only Romelle held us together. None of us wanted to disappoint or upset her, but we were also all eager to move on. To the point Dealian put aside some of his animosity to approach me, his voice a hushed whisper.

I would look around, and see Malkom engaging Romelle in some sort of discussion. Her back was to me. She seemed unaware that Dealian had approached me. It was a set up in a way, one man distracting her so that the other could talk about something important to me. I was sure I already knew what was on his mind, yet I still gave the blonde man my full attention.

"Something has got to be done." Dealian gave a subtle nod in Romelle's direction. I nodded back, showing I understood. "We can't remain on Doom any longer. It's

too dangerous...each night the soldiers get closer to finding this cave..."

"I know..." My own voice was low, practically silent save for my lips moving.

"We have to convince her to leave now." He continued. "There's no point in waiting around any more. Not for a..." He trailed off, but I could guess what he had been about to say. We all thought it, all felt Sven was already a dead man. Only Romelle was holding out hope. Only Romelle would keep us waiting an eternity for a man that was more ghost than flesh now.

"I doubt she'd listen to Malkom or I." Dealian grimaced. "Loyal though we are, we still are only servants to the crown. It is not our place to order or force the princess to do as we please..."

"But you think she'd listen to me, since I am an outsider?" I raised an eyebrow at that. He continued to grimace.

"She trusts you. Likes you even. I don't know what happened exactly between you during her captivity, but even I have to admit it bonded you two together. I may not like that bond, but I am willing to exploit it if it will get her back to Pollux."

"She has a bond with Sven too." I noted. "One that might be even deeper. He's the one who saved her from Doom after all..."

"Don't you think I know that?" snapped Dealian, though his voice did not go any louder. "She owes him...but it's not a debt he would want her paying with her freedom."

I nodded. "True." I glanced at Romelle, and sighed. "It's time I honor my promise to Sven." I tried not to grimace then. "One way or anther..." Dealian looked relieved, as though he thought I really had the ability to change Romelle's mind on this. "I'm not saying it'll work..." I warned him. "Especially if she's made up her mind. There might not be any reasoning with your princess..."

"But at least you'll make the effort..."

"Yes." Another sidelong glance at Romelle, who was now looking at something Malkom held in both his hands. "But if this doesn't work.." In my boredom I had done an inventory of the items they had brought with them from Pollux. The many foods and herbs contained in the crates. There was even some medicines, pills that could be used to our advantage where the princess was concerned.

"Be prepared to drug her food." I said at last. Dealian looked shocked at that, his mouth actually dropping open.

"She'll hate you if you trick her like that."

"Better she hate than she end up dead or in Lotor's hands again." I retorted.

He couldn't help but be curious at that. I knew enough to know Romelle hadn't shared the explicit details of all the torments she had endured at Lotor's hands. Not with Malkom and Dealian, perhaps not even with her brother Bandor. It seemed only I and Sven were privy to the full horrors of Romelle's ordeal, and it was a secret neither one of us would reveal without her expressed permission.

"Go..." I said, to ward off his questions. "Get the items needed to prepare the drug. I shall go speak with Romelle..."

He nodded, though he looked disgruntled. Dealian really was curious, and it was eating away at him. I almost called him back, wanting to tell him to satisfy that curiosity would be to carry a heavy burden. But I kept silent, walking towards the princess and Malkom. They weren't trying to be quiet, their conversation carrying easily to me.

"If we're extremely frugal, and take only the smallest of portions for our meals..." Malkom was explaining to Romelle. "We'll have enough food to last us maybe another three days..."

"Is food really that low?" I interjected myself into the conversation, but already knew the answer. I had inventoried the crates several times over, and was well aware of the situation. The supplies were running out, and we had little way to get more. Doom's surface was so barren it had little in the way of forageable plants. Hunting for food was even worse, only scavengers and carnivores existed. I could always go to town, but that would mean abandoning Romelle for days on end, something I wasn't willing to do. Not to mention my return to civilization would resurrect a man supposedly dead.

We couldn't remain on Doom. We had to pack up and leave. Everyone recognized that but Romelle. She turned to look at me, a half smile turning the corner of her mouth up. "We've almost exhausted all our supplies." She said. "But as Malkom was explaining, if we hold back and skimp on our meals...we'll be able to remain on Doom just a little while longer..."

And that little while longer meant everything to Romelle. I could see that, and so could Malkom. Just as we could tell she would keep us firmly rooted on Doom, waiting forever if we had too. This couldn't go on, and something must have shown on my face for Romelle was suddenly shaking her head no.

"Don't...Sabbath, don't say it..."

"You have to hear it Romelle..." I retorted, and what little of her smile she had managed, crumpled. "It's been too long...Sven's..."

"Sven is fine!" She spoke over me, tone firm. "He's just been delayed...but he will be returning...he will!"

"Malkom...could you come help me with this evening's meal?" Dealian's request had a grateful Malkom backing away from Romelle and I. I wouldn't bother to listen to what the two men would say to each other. Surely Dealian would fill Malkom in on the need to drug Romelle for her own good.

"Romelle, it's been a week...More than enough time for him to have returned..." I pointed out. She was shaking her head no, over and over. I stepped toward her, intent on stilling her movements with my grab. But she evaded my reach, backing away from me.

"He'll come back..." She repeated, voice a fervent whisper. "He has too..."

Nothing I could say felt adequate enough. I stood there, expression serious as I watched her hug her arms around her trembling body. "Romelle..." I sighed then, even as she shook her head no yet again. "Sven made me make a promise. A promise to get you off this world. To see you back to Pollux safely. And not just you. But Malkom and Dealian..."

She stared at me, long enough that I thought she wasn't going to speak again. "I made a promise too..." She finally whispered.

I blinked slowly. "You did?"

"Do you want to know what it was?" I turned guarded, but eventually nodded. "It was back when Sven first got me off of planet Doom. I vowed that I would never again leave this awful place without the persons that matter to me..." She was still hugging herself, and I didn't know what to say. We hadn't really discussed the time she had first escaped from Doom. I had yet to share my upset over being left behind like that, or my grudging understanding over why she had to do what she had done.

I don't know what Romelle took my silence for. She peeked up at me through lowered lashes, her expression one of raw nerves. "I..." A nervous exhalation, Romelle trying to find the right words. "I didn't..."

"You didn't owe me anything." I interrupted at last. "It was right of you to leave without me." She looked surprised at that.

"You're not angry?" Romelle asked.

"Can't say..." I said with a shrug of my shoulders. "It's a difficult situation we both were in. So many things to factor in. You didn't know how far you could trust me...if I'd turn on you and bring you back to Lotor or not. Of course you had to seize the opportunity to get away the first chance you get. But..."

"But what?" She prodded, stepping closer to me.

"But even knowing all that. It hurt." I admitted. Her expression seemed to soften, she was reaching with her hand to touch my face. I allowed the touch, staring unblinking at her. "I wish...things had been different...that you could have trust me...that I could have..." I trailed off, and no amount of prodding from Romelle could get me to admit to my secret desire. The desire to have been the one to rescue her.

It hurt her when Romelle saw I wouldn't finish what I had been about to say. I saw the look in her eyes, felt her distance herself from me both physically and emotionally. She toughened up, expression firm, not willing to tolerate any argument. "We will continue to wait for Sven." She told me. I didn't react, not even when she added the following. "It's the least I can do...after all he's done for me."

"We might be waiting forever..." I reminded her, and she didn't so much as frown.

"So be it." She turned away from me then. "I won't ever let anyone feel what you felt. I won't ever let anyone feel the hurt you felt, the hurt of being abandoned."

I could understand that. But I didn't have to like it. I clenched my hands into fists, forcing myself not to chase after her as Romelle walked away. She was allowed some time alone, we all were. But I felt Dealian and Malkom's stare, the men waiting for a command. It wasn't one I particular wanted to give, my teeth grinding together as I turned to look at them.

"We do it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Dealin was shocked. "Why not today?"

Malkom was nodding. "Yes, the sooner the better. No good can come of waiting..."

He was right. There was plenty of reason why we had to get off the planet, and had to get off it now. And yet, Romelle's sincere words had made me hesitate. Enough that I was willing to give her one more day to come to terms with the fact Sven would not be returning. No amount of prodding from Dealian and Malkom could get me to change my mind about this. It was both kindness I offered Romelle, and a selfishness on my part. All because I wanted one more day to keep Romelle from hating me completely.

I can't lie and say I wasn't nervous about this impending betrayal of her trust. I wondered if it would be the end of our friendship, if Romelle would rescind the offer for me to live on planet Pollux. I even thought she might blame me for Sven's failure to return. She'd probably forever think if we had waited just one more day, the man would have appeared.

Restless, I paced about the center of the cave. I didn't want to chase after Romelle, and yet she was taking too long in returning. Malkom and Dealian kept looking down the path to the cave's entrance, growing increasingly agitated. They were working on cooking the evening's meal, and I kept a close eye on what they used. All because I feared their impatience would lead them to drug Romelle ahead of schedule.

I was drifting closer to them, when the scream came. Immediately all three of us ran towards the cave's entrance. There was no doubt about it, that had been Romelle's voice. She had screamed and then it had died down, muffled by some unknown assailant. We ran, and I pulled ahead of the two humans, bursting out into the open. It was a wonder we didn't shoot anyone, spying Romelle repeatedly banging her fists against a Doom soldier's chest. She didn't look frightened though, her blue eyes flashing angrily.

The soldier paid us no mind, too busy laughing at the princess' antics. It was the laugh that gave him away, the soldier having an accent no Drule could ever manage.

"SVEN!" All three of us voiced as one, our disbelief apparent. He continued to laugh, Romelle still fuming, striking him again and again. It was then that I realized she was talking to him, furious whispers we could barely hear over Sven's hearty laugher.

"Don't ever do that again! You gave me quite a fright!"

Sven's laugher calmed down some, the man grabbing the princess by the wrists. "You shouldn't have been out here alone. What if I had been a real Doom soldier?" That didn't calm down Romelle in the slightest, she glared at him and struggled to get her hands free.

"I can't believe you're still alive!" blurted out Dealian. Malkom and I could only nod. I was sure my expression was as stunned stupid as theirs.

"Did you think I was lunch?" Sven asked, glancing our way. "For some robeast?"

"That's not funny!" snapped Romelle. "Don't make jokes...not at a time like this!" He turned back to Romelle, locking eyes with her as his expression turned serious.

"Were you worried about me?" A tremulous smile was cast her way. I expected Romelle to cease her struggles and fall into his arms, maybe even cry out her relief. Instead she surprised us all, stamping her foot on one of Sven's.

"I hardly even noticed you were gone!" She announced, and jerked free of his hold. Without a backwards look his way, she stalked back into the cave, leaving a bemused Sven behind.

"So much for a hero's welcome..." He muttered, his expression one of pure bewilderment. Dealian and Malkom immediately set out to make excuses for their princesses behavior. Sven seemed to tune them out, looking at me. It was hard to read his expression then, if he was really that angry that we had remain behind to wait for him.

I could only shrug, muttering something about willful princesses before hurrying back into the cave. I wouldn't find Romelle at first, she had traveled all the way to it's rear. Far enough that she must have thought her weeping would be muffled. I stood back, watching her and feeling awkward. She didn't acknowledge me. I wasn't even sure if she realized I was there, the girl too busy crying out her relief over Sven's return.

I wanted to go to her then. To wrap her up in my embrace, and rock her to comfort. But I was aware she was crying for another man, her sob filled whispers voicing Sven's name over and over again. She literally shook with emotion, thanking the Gods for returning him. It made me feel like an outsider looking in, unwanted and unnoticed. I may have had a bond with Romelle, but she had one that might have been just as strong if not stronger with Sven. And that hurt even more than being abandoned.

To Be Continued...

I have to say I've been dreading getting to the posting of this chapter. If you haven't noticed, I've been delaying updating, cause I've been trying to stretch out the content I do have available for an update. See I spent a month and a half, maybe two months not working on Voltron stories. That includes Songbird. What did I do that month and a half? Well..I worked on my other fandom, Valkyrie Profile. I worked on one fic in particular, OSVP. It consumed me for those weeks until i got burnt out. I've since return to Voltron, but I am slow to catch up on my stories writing wise.

Another thing that has delayed work on this story is watching Voltron for research purposes. The good news is last week I watched the last seven or eight episodes from start to finish (While I colored pics! XD). And took notes! However, I also want to watch certain of those episodes in the Go Lion versions...which i haven't done yet. It's not TOO important, since my next stage of the story is to have them return to Pollux, and then do some relationship buildings. But I also need to sit down and reread my own story from start to finish to refresh my memory of the small details. I can remember the biggies, but I'm always rereading my own stories after long periods of time to renew my memory. So please be patient while waiting for updates. Thank you for your time in reading this far!

Michelle

Feli3, thanks again hon! Yes, Romelle has quite the choice to make. Should be fun trying to explore the three relationships. Fun but overwhelming. Don't know if I ever mentioned it, but sometimes I get overwhelmed by my own stories when I realize how much I still have to do. X_X As for the Lotor Merla Love Hate game story, I've gotten rather stuck. I suppose it can't hurt to reread those three chapters and see if inspiration catches hold of me...I know I wanted the fourth chapter to be a Merla chapter, but wasn't sure I had enough material to make a full chapter...I had even received some suggestions on what direction to take the story...but..*shrugs* not all were my cup of tea, you know? I also want to do another Lotor Romelle story, where Lotor falls in love with Romelle instead, but doesn't realize it until after he's lost her. But first I am determined to finish Songbird's Lament before starting that one! ^_- Too many ideas for my own good. X_X

Wade Wells, awesome! Glad if my Sabbath could be so enticing as to leave you torn between him and Sven! *hands out Sabbath fangirl t-shirts* Thanks again! *bows*


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